Iris
by Novaya Model
Summary: The future of a decades old company now rested in the hands of two, 23 year old heirs. Well, an heir and an heiress, but you get the point...And so here he stood, observing the chaos as everyone prepped for the bosses that none had met. He could hear Jane chuckle as she watched the frantic misery and sipped her take-out coffee. Alec/OC AU/AH-(All Human)
1. Prolouge

_**A/N: This is an idea that came to me last night as I was trying to fall asleep on a cruddy couch in a smelly hotel room. Seeing as I wouldn't be sleeping any time soon and the idea kept taunting away at my mind, I decided to flip open my laptop and go to town. **_

_**I've always been a fan of well-written and developed Alternate Universe/ All Human Twilight stories and I really feel like this has potential. So check to preview and let me know what you think.**_

People scurried through the bustling office floor, desperately trying the to reorganize, readjust, and redistribute all that was necessary to make the transition for their two new bosses' smooth. Some of the employees- the older ones who had been with the company for years, mostly- were angered at the idea of the two _brats_ taking over, some were simply nervous at the idea of new command, but all were frantic. The future of a _decades_ old company now rested in the hands of two, 23 year old heirs. Well, an heir and an heiress, but you get the point.

Jane and Alec Volturi were adopted by Aro and Sulpicia when they were thirteen. The children's parents- Didyme and Marcus, Aro's sister and brother in law- died in a house fire that year. The fire was set by some crazy kid the two went school with, some guy by the name of Masen…

Apparently the seventeen year old was under the impression that the two were witches (it had later been discovered that the origin of these suspicions were a report on Wicca that Jane had presented to her Advanced Literary Skills class- a class shared with a younger Masen) and was absolutely certain that he was doing the world a favor by barricading the family's house and lighting it up. Alec- a sensitive sleeper- and awoken by the smell of smoke. Immediately, he had dashed across the hall and grabbed his sister, tugging the half asleep girl through a smoke filled hall. He had apparently directed her to leave the house while he went to awaken their parents. By the time he had reached their hallway, however, their door was engulfed in red-hot flames.

Knowing when to quit, the boy went back to find his sister. The elder twin was at the front door, on her knees, and losing consciousness. Alec went to her and tested the door. It was jammed. Instinctively, he ran to the dining room. Grabbing a chair from the burning table, the teenager threw the heavy object through the dining room's bay window. Glass shattered and the soft sounds of distant sirens could be heard over the roar of the flames. Returning for his sister, Alec hoisted the unconscious girl over his shoulder and ran to the dining room. There, he saw his dazed and ash-covered father come to the shattered window from the outside. Alec passed the man his daughter before climbing out, himself. He wouldn't notice it until later, but he sliced his arm on the glass.

The family waited in their neighbor's front yard for the Calvary to arrive. Didyme- panicked and hyperventilating- was cradling her unconscious child in her arms. Marcus- with the assistant of their neighbor, Carlisle- was tending to the girl's severe burns. Later on, she would need skin grafts for her legs. She never would accept those scars.

And Alec…Alec paced- his wounded arm, singed skin and burning lungs and eyes forgotten in a mess of a panicking mind. Asked multiple times, later on, what his thoughts were in those moments, after his family was safe, and he would always reply with the same 'I don't know'.

Soon enough, the family was at the hospital. Jane and Didyme- who was thought to be suffering from severe smoke inhalation- were in the ICU while Alec and his father were patched up in Emergency Care. The two men were "streeted" after a few hours, though they immediately went to be with their beautiful girls in Intensive Care. Alec was the only one awake when his father started coughing again. While nurses littered the floor, no one but the boy went to tend to the man. Then, the blood started.

And so twenty-four hours after the fire, Alec was staying with his Uncle Aro and Aunt Sulpicia as his family rested in ICU. Twenty-six hours after the fire and Aro was awoken by the mechanical ring of the house telephone. It was the hospital. His little sister had died. Twenty-six and half hours after the fire and the phone rang again. Sulpicia answered, as her nearly inconsolable husband was beyond verbal capabilities at the time. Marcus had followed his beloved wife into the afterlife. Her niece was still holding strong. They would need to be at the hospital in the morning to review wills, legal guardianship issues and handle law enforcement. Sulpicia thanked the person on the phone and hung up. Aro didn't look up from his tear-diluted coffee. He didn't need to. Anyone who had seen his sister and brother in law interact would know how this would pan out.

At eight the next morning, Aro, Sulpicia and Aro's most trusted friend, work partner, and lawyer, Caius, sat with the Chief of Medicine, Chief of Police, and two separate attorneys (one belonged to the hospital, the other to the deceased). At eight-o-five that morning, Alec sat in a stairwell, the platform between floors 5 and 6 providing some kind of physical evidence that the world wasn't falling out from underneath him. At 8:10, he shed his first tear. At 8:15, a dam had broken. Ten minutes later, Carlisle- in his third year of residency at the time- stumbled upon his young neighbor. After a half hour of silent condolences, the young doctor hoisted the boy into his arms and walked him to his sister- 5th floor, room 507A- and gently laid him down next to the sedated girl. The doctor was sure whether his heart sang or broke when the child wrapped his arms and legs around the girl, holding her like teddy bear as he cried into her blonde hair. A beautiful sight on the strength of a twin's loves, yet a gut wrenching tale of horror that is losing the only world you ever knew.

A malpractice attorney who was looking for her husband also came to see this sight. After inquiring with a few nurses and orderlies- the most gossip prone of hospital staff, she has found over the years- the woman came to hear the story and came to make a decision. The one's involved in this, the mis-care of Didyme and Marcus that lead to their unnecessary deaths, would pay. They would pay with their bank accounts, yes. But most importantly, they would pay with their pride, their names, and their careers. And her darling husband, Caius, was all too happy to accommodate her newest project.

Years passed. Mason- first name Edward- was convicted on one count of felony arson, two counts of manslaughter and two counts of attempted first degree murder. Unless he had one hell of an appeals attorney, he'd be behind bars for the rest of his God-given life. After the purging Mrs. Athenadora Del Gatto's _massive _lawsuit caused, Dr. Carlisle Cullen- an honest, good natured man- was able to make his way to Chief of Medicine without the backstabbing and trash talking of office-space politics. Under his rule, the hospital became a place of trust. The existence of the establishment seemed go from "make a profit" to "make people well". This brought in hefty donations and government grants, keep the place up-to-date as well as honest. It was no wonder it topped the "10 Best Hospitals in the Region" list for the past three years.

Jane and Alec continued with life- though not unscathed. A problem arose after the death of their parents. Apparently, some paper was left unsigned by the now passed couple, so Aro and Sulpicia couldn't be granted guardianship of the two. Well, such negative terminology would not be directed at his clients and friends without Caius…_stepping _in. Needless to say, the situation was handled swiftly and Jane was released a week later into the care of her new parents.

With a multinational corporate _empire _under their feet, as well as a lofty sum left by their parents, Alec and Jane were more than well off from that point on. The two attended a top-ranked private school in the city before going on to separate colleges. Jane went to study Graphic Design and Computer Animation, having become obsessed with artistic outlets to the thoughts that plagued her troubled mind. With her vision and talent, she had gotten a job with an unnamed company- "Trust me, though, you know them" she said with a smug smile and sparkling brown eyes- right out of her four-years.

A little more…decisionally challenged than his elder twin, Alec spent his first four years bouncing from major to major. What he lacks in direction, however, he makes up for in perception. Knowing very well that someone would have takeover Aro's empire in time, Alec made his choice to dive into all things business management when grad-school came about. And in good measure, apparently, seeing as his graduation gift was _the fucking empire._

He remembered Aro's delighted smile at the pre-graduation ceremony dinner as he told the twins that he would be taking early retirement. Jane's eyebrow shot up and Alec's heart stopped. Aro could be a little eccentric at times, but this- what Alec thought was about to happen- went about seventy miles pass "Eccentric" city borders and right into Crazy Town.

That night, Alec and Jane were named the new CEOs of the corporation. It was understood, of course, that Jane's name was merely a legal formality, as she was perfectly content with her spot in life and was in no way business-oriented. Not in the way her analytical, insightful and nearly emotionally unavailable brother was.

And so here he stood, observing the chaos as everyone prepped for the bosses that none had met. He could hear Jane chuckle as she watched the frantic misery and sipped her take-out coffee.

Alec sighed, tossing his empty cup into a nearby trash bin before squaring his shoulders, putting on the blank masked he had watched his adopted parents and second generation God-parents (The Del Gattos, of course) wear so many times and beginning his walk into the apocalyptic mess.

* * *

Lyndel Parker tucked in her fresh sheets just as her phone buzzed against her bedside table. She leaned across the bed and yanked the phone off of the Ikea catalogue child, returning herself to be perpendicular to the creaky ole' hardwood floor of her apartment. Unlocking the screen, she quickly scanned her new message. Apparently there was going to be a meeting at a bar tonight.

Shrugging, she responded that she'd be there and tossed the phone away somewhere, returning her attention to cleaning.

* * *

_**A/N: Again, just an idea. A few questions: What should Aro's empire be, cuz I haven't a clue as to what would fit him. I was thinking maybe something for children, like a Willy Wonka type thing or maybe Beanie Babies. Either that or some kind of fashion/ department store haven. IDK, give me your thoughts if you would.**_

_**Also, what should the title be? I'm at a loss.  
**_

_**Anyway, please review with your thoughts, and don't worry, I haven't forgotten about O'Dark Thrity. This is just a preview and something to work on when I'm lost for that story.  
**_

_**Anyway, I'll see ya'll later.  
**_


	2. Applicant B

**_A/N_**_**: The first official chapter of my new fanfiction which I've decided on entitling "Iris" after the Goo Goo Dolls song by the same name. **_

_**Lila: **Thanks :) And I did go with your idea, mainly because I was already leaning towards it lol I think it's fitting because the Volturi are described as "patrons of the arts," and fashion is very artistic while still offering the ablility to corrupt, undercut and destroy people and competition lol_

_**HunterRaven: **While all of the ideas are very fitting, I don't know enough about any of them to even begin to write fiction revolving around them lol But I do think Aro would be far better suited as a corrupt politician or bank CEO with a thousand off-shore accounts or something lol I just had to work with my own strengths here_

_**Larcian:** Oh my God, a toy store! I think Aro's going to open a ma and pa toy shop later lol and as for the feel of the story: IDK, bro. Seriously. That's why I only classed it as "Romance" because it can go anywhere. The new title, though, fits with the song and where I think I'm going to take Alec and Lyndel's relationship in the sense that they're both hurt (further explanation to Lyndel's pain in later chapters) and they seem to be the only ones who can help the other._

_**Anais:** Ah! I had to email my old French teacher to tell her that I still understand the language! I'm happy! Ah! I'm really happy you like the beginning, because I wasn't too sure of it when I went to publish lol_

_**And readers of O'Dark Thirty, fret not, I have not forgotten the story. This one just has the majority of my attention currently. Don't worry, though, I will update O'Dark Thirty soon enough.**_

_**EDIT:**__**I forgot to mention, I just discovered Polyvore, so a link to Lyndel's interview outfit is in my bio.**_

* * *

Lyndel walked into the bar, the freshly 21 year old feeling confused and out of place. Her birthday, which had passed two months ago, was simply a trip of scoring through the aisles of a _very _well off liquor shop. Merely for shits and giggles, she purchased some whiskey, straight vodka, and even a set of Jekyll and Hyde, a berry and herbal liquor duo that she nearly had a stroke of joy when she saw it. About seventy bucks later, the golden haired college grad hailed a cab with a smile of birthday pride about her face. A shot of the J+H coupled with a Sex in the City marathon completed her evening.

Needless to say, partying and bar scenes weren't really the socially introverted girl's forté. So in her jeans and favorite black booties, she stealthily scanned the crowd, catching sight of her two New York friends in a corner booth with about three other people. With a confidence that took years of socially trying public school experiences to master, Lyndel strode over to the group, snagging a chair from a nearby table and sitting down next to a man who could have easily been her hair twin.

"Lynny!" Brianna and Tate shouted- as all drunken girls do- when their new friend joined them.

"Lyn-Lyn," Brianna began, "It's time for you to meet the people. The guy next to you is Jasper, the girl next to Tate is Jane, and THIS-" she said, slapping her hands on a giggling young woman's shoulders- "lovely young lady is Mary-Alice."

"Hi," Lyn said quietly, offering a small smile and a shy wave as she let a blush take over her cheeks. Years ago, she would have swallowed that blush and came out of the gates swingin'. However, she soon learned to use her quirky and damn-near adorable shyness to her advantage. The honesty was an advantage- giving people the subconscious feeling that they could trust her- and people had the tendency to under estimate her drive, ambition, and situational cunningness, so she could snake her way around drama and politics before snatching up victory for herself. Very rarely would she use her gift for evil, mind you. She wasn't competitive by nature, not even in Monopoly. The prize had to be worth the price.

And regardless, being honest with people up front made her more comfortable. The ease of not having to maintain lies, keep up a persona and put on a mask made life about 150x more enjoyable. Knowing this, she was going to enjoy it.

"They all work together." Tate announced, bringing Lyn's attention to freckled girl, "Alice is a fashion model and Jazz is her favorite photographer. They work for Jane's company."

At that, Jane scoffed and fell into a short fit of laughs.

"My company," She restated with a chuckle, grabbing a sip of her drink, "That's good."

Lyndel looked between the two, then around the table.

"I'm confused…"

Jasper smiled warmly and Alice turned to her, a bell like voice emanating from the small woman.

"Do you know Canto Gioiello?" The girl asked, swiping a long strand of dark hair behind a pale ear.

Lyn nodded, very well aware of the high end fashion merchandising chain. If she wasn't mistaken (which she may have been…it had been a few semesters since her Fashion and Design intro class), the company was head over multiple smaller lines. They seemed to have a foot in every pond in their market- and there were a lot of ponds, so somebody somewhere had to have an inordinate amount of limbs. She could recall making a chart about their power in one of her earlier classes….maybe back in high school. Other kids did Procter & Gamble or Kraft Foods, but little Miss Fashoinista went for Canto Gioiello- Singing Gem. She was shocked- rightfully so, in her opinion- to find that brands she wore, brands she loved for their quality and price, were made by people who tailor to the likes of millionaires and billionaires and multi-trillionaires.

Yeah, she knew Canto Gioiello.

She nodded.

"Well," Alice smiled, "Jane's adoptive father/uncle thingy owns the business. As in: he started it himself, right out of college. God only knows how he broke into the tight-knit higher end fashion world so swiftly, but he did.

"So, anyway, Jane's brother, Alec, just finished grad school for business management. Aro signed the company over to the two of them and took off with his wife for a month long world trip."

"He just left?" Lyn asked, shocked that someone would have _that _much faith in a brand new grad as to sign over a _fucking empire_ to the guy, no questions asked.

"Yup." Jane confirmed, taking down one of the shots the table had collected earlier, "It's all in our names now. And while I'm _technically _half in-charge, Aro knows that this is all Alec. I have my calling and a job I'd never leave."

Lyn scoffed and fell back against her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. He left a _23_ year old in charge? Who does that to someone? She'd be having a nervous frakin' breakdown if she were in the guy's shoes right now. God.

"I'd beat his ass." She says with a determined finality, adding in a mumbled "Fuckin' assmunch."

Jasper chuckled and Tate and Bri raised their drinks- Martini and Chardonnay, respectfully- to the sentiment.

On the other hand, Jane didn't seem to appreciate the threat- however insincere it was- against the man who gave her everything, and fumed at the oblivious young woman. Alice noticed, shifted uncomfortably, and changed the subject.

"So anyway," She transitioned with a forced smile, facing Lyndel, "Bri and Tate say you just graduated. What did you major in?"

"Marketing with a minor in Psychology." She listed off easily, as though it were second nature. Jane, ever the sadist, noticed the slight drop in her shoulders and her suddenly down cast eyes. So the little girl didn't like her choice, didn't like the life she roped herself into? Fantastic. Time to make it worse.

"You know," Jane began, putting on her sugary-sweet act, "We just had a major upheaval in our Marketing department. Something about screwing up instructions and insulting the consumers and international markets or some jazz. Anyway, I could talk to Alec about getting you an interview."

Jane watched in delight as the young woman's hazel eyes widened in shock.

"Oh, no, that's alright," She said breathlessly, rushing out her rejection of the offer, "it's fine, really-"

"Oh, I insist," Jane smiled, waving off the girl's concern, "It's just a little entry-level position, nothing major.

"In fact," She said, pulling out her phone, "I'll call him right now."

She scooted out of the booth and walked out of the bar, pulling up her brother's number on the phone screen. As she left, she could feel the shocked and fearful eyes of nosey little _Lyndel_ following her out the door.

She smirked as the phone rang.

* * *

Alec pulled the next manila folder off of the stack on the side of his desk.

Lyndel Parker.

21 years old.

Graduated with a major in Marketing and a minor in Psychology from a college he didn't know.

Lives in Manhattan- Jesus. What grad can afford Manhattan? Aside from him, of course.

Previous experience includes internships and a few entry level positions throughout out school. Not much to go on…

He quickly glazed over her references list before placing the folder in the middle of his desk and calling to his assistant- Renata- to walk to young woman in.

The door to his executive office opened for the fifth time that afternoon. He watched with critical eyes as the young lady walked inside, her small heels silent against the carpeted floor.

While he meant to judge her attire and attitude- as is pertinent in the hiring process- he was wholly and completely distracted.

He wasn't sure why, but the moment he laid eyes on her the animalistic urge to conquer and claim overtook him. The first image that flashed through his head wasn't one of her at a fashion circuit or how she would blend with the environment, but of him laying her on his desk taking her quick and rough.

Immediately smothering the thought and his self-disgust, Alec rose from his seat and moved out from behind his desk, meeting the woman half-way.

They smiled and greeted each other with a "Good Afternoon" and a hand shake. The moment their hands touched, a shock of electricity raged through his body, settling warmly below his waist. Simultaneously, he watched as Ms. Parker's pupils dilated, black dominating hazel. She had felt it, too.

Regardless, both ignored the sensation and went about business, Alec offering her the seat in front of his desk and Ms. Parker sitting herself down, crossing her ankles and resting her clutch-like purse in her lap. Alec's blue eyes settle on the golden wristlet.

"I very much appreciate your purse." He told her simply as he sat down.

He heard her give a guarded chuckle as she amusedly, if not questioningly, accepted the odd compliment.

"Thank you?" She offered with a confused smile.

He smiled back before diving into his explanation.

"I've seen three women today. All three of these women may as well have brought their families' beach bags as their purses."

This time, she chuckled sincerely, offering a nod of comprehension before regaining her polite composure. She was obviously ready to get down to business, to go through all of the "Tell me about yourself" and "Why should I hire you" inquires.

Not on his watch.

"That's a beautiful ring." He said, nodding towards the small pearl on her right, middle finger.

She broke eye contact as her left hand went to cover ring. She quietly gave thanks.

A light went off in his mind as he observed her reaction.

"Ms. Parker," He started in his "official" voice, effectively drawing her attention back from wherever it wandered, "Your resumé says you have a degree in Psychology?"

"Yes, that's correct." She confirmed in an equally official voice. Alec looked from the folder on his desk to the hazel eyes in front of him. The laughter was gone. The warmth, the graciousness, everything from before, was gone. She was all business now.

He smirked.

"Then you know what you just did, right?" He asked, quickly glancing at where her left hand covered her right, "The reaction to your ring? Explain it to me."

Her head turned down as she examined her hands critically. Her golden-blonde hair was pulled back from her face, giving him enough of a view to witness her eyes drift off once again as she searched for answers in her mind.

"Protecting an object as attention is brought to it demonstrates that it holds some kind of value to the one protecting it." She began, her tone completely objective and her eyes bouncing between present and gone, "Considering that the object in question is a piece of jewelry and the protector is the one wearing it, it can be assumed that the value is either sentimental or monetary. Dealer's choice which." She looked up at him, telling him that he was the dealer and he was to choose where her value in this item lay.

"Sentimental." He responded without a thought.

She looked back at her hands.

"Sentimental value of a piece of jewelry, most commonly, comes from the historical relationship with the provider. Being it a ring, the first assumption would be fiancé or husband.

"However," she continued, "Given the placement of the ring that is unorthodox and, therefore, invalid. The second most plausible assumption would be a gift, preferably from a family member." He could hear her voice start to quiver. He didn't interrupt.

"Regardless," she carried on, "Neither of these templates, alone, justify the instinctual protection. The most reasonable of assumptions for such would be that the giver- be they family, friend or fiancé- is no longer a part of the protectors daily life, thus vindicating the need to protect the remaining connection to whomever."

He watched her silently as she breathed slowly; calming herself from whatever excited her. As her eyes drifted off once more, he changed the subject.

"Your outfit is surprisingly fantastic," he told her truthfully, having finally done his mental scrutinizing of her attire, "How did you pick it out."

She looked up him and chuckled, the laughter returning to her hazel eyes.

He smiled and rolled his hands, motioning for her to begin her explanation.

A deep blush overtook her embarrassed face and Alec felt his cock twitch as a sense of innocence and naïveté radiated off of her. He shifted in his seat.

"Grey and cream is the new black and white." She told him with faux seriousness as her blush wore down.

"Honestly?" He questioned, indulging in her little skit as he, himself, tried to calm down.

"Absolutely," She continued on, putting on a sincere and knowledgeable tone (one he could easily identify as fake after hearing it from so many of Aro's colleagues), "Think about it, if you would. Black and white has been the staple of professional attire for decades. The color combination has been worn to death. The only way to wear black and white now is to either be dull and boring, or be extremely intense and obnoxious. Of course, neither of these options are very suitable for a productive workplace.

"Nevertheless, one wants to stay in those general regions of the color scale when dressing for professional matters." She said, motioning to her shirt and skirt, "Notice the off-white and light grey; near white and black, but far enough to bring variety and style into a monotonized society."

"Note-worthy, however," She continued, interrupting him as he opened his mouth to speak, "Is the addition of a black piece to the ensemble. Not only does this create the popular 'block color' effect, but it shows reverence to the classics; almost a homage to the old trend."

Alec sat back, watching the woman as she maintained her falsified aura of confidence and credibility.

"Is _any _of that true?" He asked with a laugh.

"If you want it to be." She told him flatly.

"You're good, Ms. Parker." He told her honestly, approval evident in his voice.

A satisfied smile graced her lips as she blushed lightly and fiddled with the watch on her left wrist.

_Maybe __**too **__good. _He thought as a familiar electric feeling ran through him.

**~8~**

About a half hour later, Lyndel Parker was led away from the executive office with the promise of a call later that week. She had smiled and thanked him politely, shaking his hand and sending that damn shock through both of their and filling his mind with the image of fucking her against his office door.

He didn't, though. He offered her a programmed and scripted farewell and returned to his desk, grabbing the next manila folder.

After reading through the impressive resumé, Alec had Renata bring the next applicant in. He was wearing an all-black three piece suit with a white shirt and a black tie.

Alec nearly chocked at the fashion faux-pas, his mind thinking of how over-played black and white was in the professional world and how ridiculous this guy look. It would take the CEO a few hours to make the connection between his critical thoughts and Lyndel Parker's little show.

* * *

"So, who's my new coffee-runner?"

Alec closed the folder on his desk and looked up at the older man he had known for years.

"I haven't got a clue." The 23 year old answered honestly.

Eleazar chuckled and took a seat in front of the boss-man's desk, ready to aid the stressed young man he had known for so many years.

"Do you have it narrowed down?" He asked simply, motioning towards one of the stacks of folders. Alec nodded in response and grabbed three folders, opening them and laying them across his desk.

"Applicants A, B, and C," he began, diving into a summary of each contender, "Applicant A has a Master's in Fashion Merchandising and worked for three years up and down 5th Avenue. Applicant B is a recent grad with a major in Marketing and a minor in Psychology who has a variety of experience ranging from interning on political campaigns to working on lower levels with some major department stores. Applicant C comes from a legacy and has proven to be just as talented as previous familial generations in school and work."

Eleazar nodded in contemplation. "And what are your personal thoughts on each resumé?"

Alec sighed and braced his covered forearms on his desk.

"I feel that each has their own strengths. But with those come weaknesses. Applicant C is going to be under pressure to maintain family image, so the chances of burning out are amplified. Applicant A has been around the block- literally- and could very well be jaded. Which is where Applicant B comes in. Fresh-faced and just out of school, so there's a stronger connection to pop culture and the younger society. But is the applicant _too_ new, too naïve to start out here?"

"Who sold themselves better?"

Alec looked at the older man in confusion.

"Well, it's a marketing position." Eleazar explained, "The point of marketing is too sell stuff. Anyone can list of facts and opinions, but a marketer's job is to twist those things in such a way that the product- the person, in the case- seems like a need more than want. Who did that? Who got to you personally? Who, if only for a moment, made you think that they were perfect?"

"B." He answered without hesitation.

Eleazar smiled. "Then hire-"

"There's a slight problem." Alec interrupted.

The older man cocked an eyebrow.

"I want to fuck her to the point of extended incapacitation."

Alec's companion started chocking before breaking into hardy laughs.

"That _is _a problem," Eleazar said with loud chuckles, before calming down enough to continue, "But look at it this way: She's going to work with me, not you. And she's entry-level, so personal interaction with the big boss will be minimal, if existent."

"You're a big boy, Alec, "The other man continued, rising from his seat, "You know what's right and wrong. Trust yourself and hire the girl."

The door of his office closed and Alec was alone once again. Blue eyes stared out the large windows of the executive room, scanning the darkened skyline as he searched for the strength to make the call.

Lyndel Parker could very well be the best for the job. While others were more experienced, she just seemed so much better suited. After a 45 minute conversation, it was made clear to him that the arts of marketing and psychology were as natural as breathing to her. She seemed to have a raw talent, one that good do a lot of good or a lot of bad, depending on who got their hands on it. They needed her, and she needed them. He would just have to swallow his personal desires and deal with it.

Gathering all folders but her's, the young man left his office for the night. A quick stop by Human Resources to file the denied resumés and he'd be on his way home to a glass of whiskey and a cold shower.

* * *

A thud sounded through the large apartment as Lyndel's ass met the hardwood floor of her living room. She laughed to herself as she returned to standing on her slippery socks and slid into her bedroom, dancing to the music that sang from her speaker.

"These battle scars!" she sang along as she ripped the comforter off her bed, "Don't look like they're faded! Don't look like they're ever going away!"

Humming along with the song, she remade her messy bed before grabbing her portable speaker and dancing into her kitchenette as an old rock song began to play.

Working to the rhythm of a singing guitar, she pulled out her everything she needed for her dinner of a toasted turkey sandwich and macaroni & cheese. Her brother always gave her crap for being a cheap date, but she didn't mind it. Simple tastes make a happy checking account.

She pulled her hair- still sticky with hairspray from her interview earlier that day- into a half assed bun as she filled a pot with water and put it on the burner. The 1980's power ballad filled her home and soul with nostalgia for days that she never lived as she left the water to boil and moved to make her sandwich, slipping the bread into her old toaster.

As her dinner prepped and her music played- switching from 80's rock to modern pop- Lyndel walked around to the other side of the bar and sat down, opening her laptop and browsing through her many social networks.

Emails from subscribed websites, a message from a high school friend, a few mentions in tweets and statuses…

Consumed with boredom, she left the sites and went to another- her favorite on of all.

As the site loaded, she went to pour the characterized noodles in the water and construct her sandwich. She returned to her computer quickly and smiled widely as she saw a flash-version of the old school Super Mario Brothers start screen.

* * *

_**A/N: The songs she was listening to were Battle Scars by Guy Sebastian ft. Lupe Fiasco, Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N' Roses and Brokenhearted by Karmin, only because those were songs that were playing while I was writing. You can mentally switch them out with whatever you want lol**_

_**Please review **_

_***Fixed the "Elzar"s lol Sorry, I finished this really late a night and wasn't on my game lol Thanks, HunterRaven!**_


	3. Viscosity

_**A/N: So this is super long, FYI.**_

_**Guest: **Thank you :)  
_

**_Lila:_**_Not a problem and thank you very much :)_

**_HunterRaven:_**_ -__Jane was insulted by Lyn's judgement of Aro. Later, she noticed that Lyn didn't like the career field she put herself, so she saw her opportunity to make Lyn even more upset by getting her further into the career: **"Marketing with a minor in Psychology." She listed off easily, as though it were second nature. Jane, ever the sadist, noticed the slight drop in her shoulders and her suddenly down cast eyes. So the little girl didn't like her choice, didn't like the life she roped herself into? Fantastic. Time to make it worse.  
-**As for the attraction, that's up for you to decided, I guess. And we are going to know more about Lyn's appearance throughout the story and this chapter in particular, but I don't think it will be anything that drastically stands out to you, so you can can ignore if you want to. And the whole thing with her answering his question- no questions asked- is discussed in this chapter.  
-I was going through a really old scrap book (like, that-thing-could-very-well-be-haunted old) and saw this creepy picture of a baby who was apparently Cousin Ethel. Ethel led me to Ellen which led me to Lin which led me to Lyndel. So, yeah, pretty random, actually lol  
-Fixed the "Elzar" mishap lol Oops *is shot*  
-Glad you liked it :)  
_

**_LadyCoraline:_**_Done._

**_LadyJoa:_**_Lol, isn't jealousy wonderful? And yeah, I'm going to try to make Lyndel kind of a weird-smart, because in my head she's that socially inept sweetheart that is much happier in a library than a club, although the library is always more fun if she has friends with her.  
Also, I always kind of saw Ciaus as the bank guy- you know, the corrupt con artist and such. Aro always crossed me as the one who was really sneaky in his control and always liked to do it the elegant way. Seeing as fashion has control the human race in a way of the labeling of social class and promience since clothes were invented, I've always thought it was more of Aro's...style ;D *is shot again*_

**_Larcian:_**_You don't even want to know what I've got lost in my bookmarks...Anyway, thank you :)_

**_~Shameless self-advertising alert~_**

**_FYI-again-:_**

**_The O'dark Thirty revamp is up. It's called Haunted Hill and it's still Alec/Oc Marcus/ 2nd Oc with witches and shiz, I'm just taking it in a different direction._**

**_So, uh, yeah...check it out, maybe._**

**_Polyvore links on my profile for those interested in Lyndel's outfits._**

* * *

Her heart beat pounded in her ears as she rode in the elevator, anxiously awaiting their arrival to her floor. Painted nails spun her ring and picked at her bracelet as nervous eyes glanced at her watch for the seventh time. She was going to be five minutes early. Was that too early? Who did she talk to when she arrived? Would anyone help her? Were they nice or would the next stage of her life be filled with cruel, egocentric people? Oh dear Jesus, why did she do this?  
As they neared her floor, Lyndel nervously adjusted the lay of her cropped, black blazer against her burgundy skater dress. A 'ding' snapped her back to reality and she straightened- fixing her posture- before exiting the lift. Any feigned confidence dissipated and the sight before her.

An opened office floor that was filled with decorated desks and cubicles had people running around it. Interns and managers and assistant managers and whoever the hell else were all dashing and speed-walking and speaking either with excessive volume or in hushed tones. And she just stood there, all of her 5'9" (with the heels adding a delicate two inches to her alright above-average height) body consumed with fear and intimidation. Her large, hazel eyes scanned faces and office name plates as her muddled mind tried to decipher who the hell she should approach with her questions. She could feel her hands go cold as fretfulness took a vice grip on her heart.

"Excuse me…" A female voice said in her ear as a delicate hand touched her arm. Lyndel whipped her head around and was blessed with the familiar face of Miss Renata, the CEOs secretary. The noirette smiled up at her. "Ms. Parker, how are you this morning?"

"I'm alright, thanks. And yourself?" She gave the long-practiced response and smile.

"I'm perfectly alright, thank you." Renata gave a similar reply before motioning down a hall of cubicle walls, "If you'll follow me, I'll introduce you to everyone."

Relief overtook the 21 year old as she smiled and nodded gratefully, following behind the smaller woman.

"Chelsea Davis is the head of HR," Renata spoke as they weaved through desks and people, "She's a short woman with light brown hair. Rather personable until you piss her off. Her husband- Afton- works with Santiago in handling security for the company heads."

The small woman opened the door of a small conference room that currently housed three people- one man and two women. They all looked up at the intrusion.

"Everyone, this is the newbie. Lyndel Parker. Lyndel, this is Demetri, Heidi, and Kate. Demetri and Heidi are two of our best buyers and Kate runs the magazine." Renata introduced. Lyndel smiled kindly at the three people and waited for someone to make the next move. The brunette woman- Heidi- walked up to her and stuck out a pale hand.

"It's wonderful to meet you," She smiled as they shook hands, a faint German accent decorating the sentiment. Demetri followed her lead, giving the woman a wink that painted her light beige face a faint pink. Kate smiled sternly before returning attention to whatever the three were discussing when they were interrupted.

"Come, Ms. Parker," Renata's soft voice called to the young woman, "I'll take you to meet the Head of Marketing."

Lyndel smiled gratefully as they left the suddenly cold, tense room.

The two women traveled down the commercially carpeted hall- in silence, this time- towards a large corner office.

Quickly, Lyndel read the door-mounted name plate.

Eleazar Camargo- Marketing and International Affairs

Her hands went cold once again as more fear and intimidation scrambled her mind. The only thing that broke through the haze was the sound of light rapping- Renata knocking on the door.

_Oh God, oh God, oh God. _Lyndel thought frantically as she the small noirette entered the office.

Running on autopilot, the 21 smiled kindly at the man behind the desk as he stood and greeted her. In her head, a mantra of _Firm handshake, kind smile, good posture _was playing relentlessly as she tried to focus on what the supposedly Spanish man was saying.

"Mr. Volturi has a lot of confidence in you, Ms. Parker." Mr. Camargo told the slightly shaking woman. The fear was obvious in her eyes and timid smile. Regardless of her concerns, however, the smile was still there. And for a fresh out of college young woman, that meant a lot.

"Speaking of Mr. Volturi," Renata interrupted, "He wanted me to make sure you were on top of the current project, after what happened…"

"Yes, yes, everything's under control," The man waved off easily, "Tell your boss not to worry his pretty little head off."

A quiet giggle drew attention back to the now blushing Lyndel Parker. She looked between the two amused people staring at her and giggled louder.

"He's pretty." She admitted with an embarrassed shrug.

Eleazar observed the young lady with a critical eye. Her warm, blonde hair fell into a mess of curls that were pinned back from her smooth face. A small and comfortable- if not embarrassed- smile tugged at her peachy lips and optimistic, yet wise, hazel eyes gazed out the window-wall of his office.

Simply said, the older man could see where Alec's attraction to the young lady came from. She was a quiet, assumedly smart girl-next-door. She was the poster child for an All American Girl. Just the 23 year old's type.

"On another note," Eleazar began, changing the topic, "Ms. Parker, you will be working under charge of Riley Biers. He and his team should be assembling in Conference Room B now."

She nodded her head and bowed slightly.

"Thank you, sir." She said before Renata led her out of the office.

"Riley Biers," The noirette began as they walked _back _down the hall, "Has a history of being a royal dick. There have been a few minor complaints that were officially filed, but it's mostly just water cooler chit-chat."

Fear shot through the girl for the umpteenth time that day as she began to respond. "Have you ever worked with him?"

Renata shook her head. "I've never spoken more than a few words to the guy at any given time." She turned to face Lyndel as they stopped in front of Conference Room B. "Just…be strong, alright? And don't be afraid to go to someone if you think he's being out of line. Demetri hates the guy, so he'll always be there for you." She laughed, wishing the girl good luck before walking back to the elevators.

* * *

"How is she?"

Renata laughed quietly and continued filing through the different papers on her desk.

"She's fine. A nervous little things, but fine." She answered honestly.

Alec nodded and continued to pester. "And you introduced her to people? To Eleazar?"

The assistant sighed dramatically, but smiled. Her boss had a little crush. It was sweet.

"Yes," She told him patiently, "She's met Eleazar, and he likes her. She's also met Demetri, Heidi, and Kate. But she is working with Biers, so…"

"What's wrong with Biers?" The CEO snapped, blue eyes blazing at the thought of someone giving the young woman a hard time on her first day.

Renata shrugged, uncomfortable with the idea of partaking in office gossip with her superior.

"Well, ya' know, just that he can be a hard ass sometimes, I guess…" She trailed off, trying not to give her emotionally- charged boss a reason to do something rash. "I'm sure she'll be fine. I mean, she handled you, didn't she?" The woman joked, trying to lighten the mood.

It didn't work.

"Yeah, but I wasn't being a dick. Is he going to be a dick?"

"Okay, Alec, calm down," Renata said, rising from her chair and pulling him into his office, "Listen, I don't know what's going on in your head, but you can't let it mess with your job and you know it."

"No, no, I know," he admitted, shaking his head and sighing, "I just…I don't know."

The noirette assistant smiled kindly as her frazzled boss paced the room, the poor young man trying to make sense of his suddenly messed up world.

"I mean, I get it, okay?" he started again, running a hand through his brown hair, "I _understand_ that I have some sort of crush on this chick. What freaks me out is that I _can't_ get _rid_ of it."

The assistant giggled.

"Alec, you can't get rid of a crush. You just have to let it ride out on its own."

The younger person nodded sullenly and shook his head once more as he tried to switch gears.

"Yeah, okay, so what's going on with that project Eleazar stared?"

"He says all is going well," Renata relayed, "And for you to not worry your pretty little head off."

Alec chuckled.

"Yeah, Ms. Parker got a kick out of that, too." The woman smirked, turning and leaving her now embarrassed boss to himself.

Jostling his brown locks again, Alec walked to his desk and sat down. As thoughts raced down the highway of his mind- three thought pile up at the corpus callosum- he started turning in his chair, absent mindedly spinning in circles as he tried to work through the mess his professional life had turned into.

Everyone he's talked to- Aro, Eleazar, and now Renata- said it's just a crush. If that's the case, this is one monster crush.

He had had crushes before- what 23 year old hasn't? - and none had felt like this. They hadn't made him this protective, this desperate, and this _fucking _horny. Ever. So what was different? What did Lyndel Parker have that no other woman in his life did?

Well, she had legs.

He noticed them when she walked in, and he was damn certain every guy she walked by that day had noticed, too. While her skirt was of modest length, the view of her creamy and toned calves may as well been as provocative as a mini and stilettoes.

And her ass.

Hot damn.

Whatever the hell that woman was doing to get those legs and that ass, she better keep doing it. For the good of all sight- enabled men everywhere, she had better keep doing it.

But, beyond that, she had eyes.

Beautiful, gorgeous, innocent eyes that pleaded for someone to protect her. Was that what he wanted? Someone to protect? To care for? Goddammit, he was twenty-three! And the CEO of one of the biggest fashion houses in the world! He had enough shit to take care of, already!

Sighing, he planted a foot on the carpeted floor and halted his chair. Blue eyes scanned the city skyline outside his window as he leaned back in his chair and allowed himself a few moments to crumble under the suffocating, overpowering pressure that seems to have taken over his still young life.

* * *

Lyndel sat silently, willing away the tears that stung her eyes. No one enjoyed being degraded and publicly humiliated, but she had always been particularly susceptible to the emotional effects of discipline.

So obviously, having a boss call her pathetic and her opinion worthless was not something she could take in stride. At least, not right away.

But she wasn't going to cry. She wasn't going to be perceived as weak by her new peers. Maybe that shit was to her advantage in school, but it wouldn't do her any good to be like that in a competitive career field.

When her roaming eye caught two looks of sympathy from the other end of the table, she mentally slapped herself. She had failed, they knew, and she was fucked.

Riley Biers called the meetings and everyone at the able stood, gathering their things before heading out. Lyndel was planning to take a moment- once everyone left- to gather herself in silence; however, as the eyes of her two sympathizers zeroed in on her slumping form, she knew she wouldn't get the alone time she craved.

Reluctantly, she sat up as the two approached, the girl smiling kindly and the guy giving her a warm, apologetic look.

"Hi," the girl said brightly, "I'm Bree, and this is Diego."

Lyndel gave them a tight smile as she swallowed the tears that had been forming.

"We wanted to apologize for Riley," Diego told her softly, "We know he can be a bit of a dick-"

_Only a little, _she thought sarcastically.

"- but he means well. He just gets overwhelmed sometimes."

She considered his words as Bree rolled her dark eyes dramatically.

"I, on the other hand," She began bluntly, "Will not attempt to defend him. He's a dick. Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about it."

Within a single heartbeat, Lyndel's mind battled an epic war.

Now was the tie to respond, she recognized. What she said in the next few moments would set her in their minds.

Should she try for a joke? If it didn't land she'd be screwed.

Accept their apologies? Well, only Diego apologized, really. If she timidly accepted a half an apology one someone else's behalf, she'd be labeled a pushover.

But if she didn't accept it, she'd be rude.

And then there was the question of if she should say anything, or if the disruption in her still very delicate internalized emotional ecosystem would be disastrous and open the flood gates.

"I get it," She said calmly, rising from her seat as smothered tears and shakes sent small shocks through her body, "No worries."

At only a slightly quickened pace- so as to avoid drawing attention- she walked out of the conference room and to her tiny cubicle that was brilliantly labeled "Empty Space 36" on the metal office plate.

In the security of solitude, she sat, trying to complete the menial computer tasks assigned to her as her mind dwelled on her humiliating verbal lashing. All she had done was make an indirect suggestion on the definition of the group's target market and then hell broke loose in the form of a very irritated Biers.

According to him, it wasn't her place to question the big kids. All she was to do was sit her "perky little ass in the back," silently observe and wait for coffee instructions.

To say she was insulted would be a waste of breath. She wasn't hurt by the little man's big words, only enraged by them. What led her to the unshed tears was the knowledge that- reiterated by Bree- there was nothing she could do about it.

It made her uncomfortable- claustrophobic- knowing that there was an injustice in her world that she had to live with. Her mother never dealt with someone's _bull_. She always found a way to get what she wanted, what she felt like she deserved.

That wasn't something Lyndel inherited.

She got her mother's hair- thankfully not her height- and even her engagement ring, but not her grit.

While her mother always expected the best from her life, Lyn-Lyn was much more content avoiding conflict. She'd often mold to anything, bending to most requests and demands without a word of complaint. A thought or two…or ten…but never a word.

She was too meek. She'd never fight for herself. For others, yes, but never herself.

Sighing, she slid the pearl ring off of her right hand and into her skirt's pocket. She didn't deserve to wear it, not right now. Not when her silence in the face of adversity may as well have been spitting on her mother's grave.

Taking a deep breath, the young woman cracked her neck and set her fingers on the keyboard, returning to menial data research and organization.

* * *

"_Hello, Sad Clown."_

Lyndel looked up from the anonymous text message and scanned the bar for her familiar faces.

Although received from an unknown number, the message itself was an inside joke. Tate or Briana was here, and they had friends.

Her hazel eyes first checked the booth they were at last time, only to find it occupied by a double date. She then scanned the bar, which housed two off-duty (at least, she _hoped _they were off-duty) detectives and a lonely old man.

A quick run-through on the faces that inhabited the pub turned up the same negative results.

They weren't here.

But they _were _here.

So where the hell-

A high pitch screech sang from her startled vocal cords as something grabbed at her waist.

She whipped around and saw a laughing Demetri, accompanied by a giggling Mary-Alice.

"Come on," Alice beckoned, "We're outside."

Following the two out the door, Lyndel stuffed her recently ungloved hands into her jacket pockets and braced against the Northeastern autumn chill as her two companions led her down a small alley and around a corner, exposing her to a nearly empty parking lot- save for a few cars and a slight gaggle of people in the back.

"Found her!" Demetri shouted to the gaggle, causing them all to turn around.

Instinctively, she ran through names and faces.

Brianna, cigarette in hand.

Jasper, staring longingly at the cigarette.

Unknown, tall and built, but friendly looking.

Heidi, smiling.

Bree, watching her with guarded interest.

She internalized a groan.

She didn't want to see Bree, not after this morning. Was the girl going to bring it up and embarrass her further, either by accident or on purpose? Or was she just going to stare at her all night, like she was right now?

"So Lyn," Heidi called bringing her out of her frantic thoughts, "How was your first day?"

Bree's stare intensified, waiting to hear her response.

Apparently, Demetri noticed.

"Bad?" He asked, sincerity and concern in his brown eyes.

"Not _good_." Bree snipped before Lyndel had the chance to respond.

"Why?" Brianna asked as her cigarette dwindled away in a mass of smoke and ash.

Lyndel shook her head and tried blowing off the concern.  
"Just this guy being a prick. It was nothing."

"Who was it?" Heidi asked, not letting the topic drop.

Lyndel opened her mouth to respond- and say she didn't remember- when Bree cut her off once more.

"Riley."

The atmosphere went tense- Brianna even stopped breathing mid-drag- as everyone looked to one another.

"You're working with Biers?" The big guy asked, cocking an eyebrow and holding her gaze with an intensity that frightened her. Or maybe it was the mere _size _of him that had her quaking in her skin, she couldn't tell. All she knew was that she didn't want to anger him.

And so she nodded her head.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Heidi watching someone with worry and turned to see who it was.

Demetri was beside her, shaking with rage. She remembered what Renata had said about how he hated Biers. Confused, she looked to Jasper and Mary-Alice.

"We're going to go inside," Alice announced, laying a hand on Jasper's arm and leading him out of the group, "Get Jazz away from the smoke. Lyn, wanna come?"

Ever thankful, she smiled slightly and nodded, following the (what she assumed to be) couple back in the bar before asking her question.

"So what's the story behind Biers?"

The uncomfortable silence and downcast eyes told her a story of betrayal. Biers fucked someone over (probably Demetri) somehow.

"Riley used to be engaged," Alice told her quietly, "But the chick got back together with her ex. Apparently, Riley began whoring around and eventually ran into Demetri's little sister, Tanya. Demetri warned him to back off, but Riley didn't care. His ego had been mutilated and he had gone crazy trying to heal it.

"Now, getting Tanya was no easy feat, mind you," Alice continued, "The girl has standards. You have to earn her love."

"He did?"

Alice nodded solemnly.

Hazel eyes darted between the city girl and the cowboy as Lyndel waited for further explanation.

"And…?"

"And Biers is a bad guy, little darlin'." Jasper warned, "It was all a game to him. As soon as he won her, he left her. Broke her heart and threw Demetri into a rage. The guy nearly got fired after he put the bastard in the hospital."

Lyndel was taken aback. He put another employee in the _hospital_? She may not have a lot of work experience, but she could guess that in any other scenario, that be immediate grounds for dismal. No "nearly" anywhere in sight.

"What saved him?" She asked.

"Jane," Alice replied, "They're really close, so Aro knows the guy on a personal level. That connection saved his skin, but barely. Since then, we try not to bring Biers up in conversation. Rather not have a replay, ya know?"

"But, if no one wants Demetri to flip on Biers again, why did Bree bring him up?"

Jasper smirked.

"For many people, their hatred of Biers outweighs their affections for Demetri."

"So he's tossed to the wolves under the pretense of taking one for the team?"

The blonde boy with the southern drawl nodded and Lyndel dumped her chin in the palm of her hand, dejected.

"Solid group of friends I've got myself tied-in with, here." She mumbled.

"Best there is." Alice smiled brightly as she waved a server over.

* * *

She took another breath- her third one- and stared at the door a little more. Her hands were clammy and shaking, and her knuckled white as she nervously squeezed her fingers. A shock of pain caught her as she was reminded of the ring on her middle finger. She quickly released her grip and started massaging the now indented area.

"You're going to be fine," Renata whispered from her own desk, smiling kindly up at the panicking girl.

"Fine"? It was her second day on the job and she was already called in to have a one-on-one with the big boss. Something told her that _that _wasn't "fine".

Still, in effort to avoid conflict, she nodded and started her preparation once more.

Deep breath.

Square shoulders.

Light knock.

Delicately, her boney knuckle rapped against the wooden door before she slowly opened it.

"Sir?" She called out meekly as she popped her head, "Mr. Camargo said you wished to see me?"

He looked up- his blue eyes catching her hazel ones- and ushered her in.

"Yes, Ms. Parker. Please, take a seat."

She obeyed- though her squared shoulders fell into a slump as she did- and moved to the one of the chairs in front of his desk. Her heart fluttered and her eyes tinged with the precognitive thought of tears that she really did not want to shed.

Nervously, her fingers drummed against her brown, plaid pencil skirt. She remembered being nervous in this office before, but she liked those nerves better. She was in control of those nerves- her first and last relationship being Exhibit A in that testimony- so she was in control of herself and, if she was good enough, the situation.

_These _nerves, however…oh, they killed her.

They always had, ever since she was little. Her father used to give her crap for crying at _every little thing_, but she could never help it. Even when she really wanted to, like during school. And now work. Fan-flippin'-tastic.

"_Ms. Parker_," Alec Volturi called out in annoyance. Swiftly, she realized that her mind had wandered and he had probably been talking this whole time.

Once again: Fan-FLIPPIN'-tastic.

She looked up from under her side swept bangs and- for a split second- caught his blue eyes in her gaze. Her eyes darted away. Those eyes made her nervous. The _good _kind of nervous, mind you, but she was wound up enough as it was. She didn't need singing ovaries causing her more problems.

"You're very nervous," The CEO commented as he gave her tight, slumped body a once over, "Do you have something to be nervous about, Ms. Parker?"

She shrugged, honestly not knowing the answer to his question. She hadn't _thought _she had done anything wrong, but Biers seemed very confident yesterday that his actions were perfectly called for. Maybe she _had _spoken out of turn and, thus, done something wrong.

Apparently, Mr. Volturi's train of thought was on the same track.

"Demetri is friend of mine, Ms. Parker," he told her softly, leaning across his desk and giving her a warm, comforting look, "He told me what happened. However, I do need your account."

Lyndel took a shaky breath and nodded before trying to turn on her apathetic mode.

"Mr. Biers' group was in Conference Room B," She began, monotonous, "They were discussing a new product line and had gotten to the topic of the parameters for the target market. Someone had suggested an age range that I found to be a little skewed, so I offered a counter range into consideration. Mr. Biers told me that I was out of line and sit my 'perky little ass in the corner' and wait for coffee instructions."

After that, they sat in silence. Lyndel's eyes were still downcast, so she couldn't see her boss's boss's boss radiating the rage he was.

How dare he speak to her like that? Unless there was a string of curse words and racial slurs she forgot to mention, nothing she could have said would be out of line. And just who did he think he was, thinking about her ass? That ass wasn't there for his pleasure, the son of a-

Alec stopped his unrightfully territorial train of thought and returned back to Lyndel.

"Ms. Parker," He began professionally, "From what I can gather, the only person who was out of line in that conference room yesterday was Mr. Biers. You are perfectly within your rights to share your opinions with your colleagues, especially when working in a group. And if Mr. Biers treats you like that again, tell him to shove it. Okay?"

She nodded, but didn't move from her seat.

"Is there something else you would like to talk about?" Alec questioned.

He watched as she took a steadying breath. Her eyes- swirling with determination- grabbed hold of his own and he swore he could feel all of his blood rushing south.

"Please don't call him in." She requested- though it sounded more like a demand. Before he could gather a response, she continued, "From what _I_ could gather, nobody likes him leading me to believe that if you had enough to fire him on, you would have done it by now. If you call him in to talk about this, all it's going to do is make my life _more _miserable than it would be because then his ego would be wounded and he would be pissed. So, please, don't call him in."

Even though it was nearly smothered to death under grit and fire, he could still hear the faint tone of desperation in her words. She sincerely did not want Biers to know what was going on. And, seeing as she was the only victim here, he had to listen to her. If she didn't want anything, he couldn't do anything.

He gave her is word that, for the time being, Riley would remain in-the-dark about these going-ons and she thanked him quietly, her grit having sunk as quickly as it arose. The young woman stood from the chair and began wobbling in place. Alec stood and rushed to her side, gripping her arm as he tried to steady her.

A low roaring over took Lyndel's hearing when she stood and her vision began to black out. So this is what tunnel vision is…not cool.

She could see enough to notice Alec Volturi rising from his seat and coming to her, and she could hear his mumbled voice through the prominent sounds of her head rush. She knew he was asking her something, but she couldn't decide it would be "Are you alright," or "Do you need to sit down".

Lyndel was never one to admit to a physical weakness- a trait from her father- and simply gave him a strong 'I'm fine' before gently pulling away and walking out of his office with cautionary steps as she tried to see through the little hole of sight that she had left.

Once she made her into the empty elevator, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.

She remembered talking about head rushes in a few Bio and Anatomy classes she had taken. Presyncope, blood pressure, tilt tables and viscosity.

Considering she's never had blood pressure problems before, she was going to venture a guess that the viscosity level of her blood was too high.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and was greeted with full vision. Blurry vision, but at least it was all there.

The elevator 'dinged' when it reached her floor and Lyndel gingerly stepped out of it, her legs trembling in her heels (she cursed herself for deciding to have worn flats _yesterday_). Carefully, she made her way to her cubicle and sat down, reaching into her purse and snatching up the bottle of water she always kept with her.

She took a long swing of the water and sat back, letting the liquid work its magic and keep her out of the doctor's office.

Viscosity, eat your heart out.

* * *

_**^ Like I said, random knowledge.  
**_

_**If you don't know, Presyncope is when you feel faint, but don't actually faint and tilt tables are a way doctor's test for the cause of presyncope and syncope (actually fainting). Blood pressure and high viscosity levels of the blood are the most common causes. Viscosity is a liquid's resistance to flow, and the higher the viscosity, the higher the resistance. Ex. Maple syrup has high viscosity. Water does not.**_

_**Yeah, I actually remember that from an Anatomy teacher's ramblings a few years back. It's weird what sticks with ya, huh?**_

_**And I'm sorry if anyone is different than you imagine them or if I confused you with the whoel Demetri and Tanya being siblings thing. That could very well happen a lot, so I suggest you just go with it and don't look too hard for any rhyme or reason, cuz there probably isn't any...**_

_**Much Love.**_

_**Please Review.**_

_**Also: Haunted Hill.**_


	4. Peanut Butter Sandwichs

_**A/N: This chapter is a shorter than the other ones (2,730 vs. 4,000+), but for whatever reason, I just couldn't make it work for me the way I wanted it to.**_

_**Anyway:**_

_**Larcian: **the confusion is totally called for and will be addressed at some point in the next three chapters. I've already got the scene typed out, I've just got see where it fits. No worries lol  
_

**_LadyJoa:_**_I'm really glad you like Lyndel so much :) I think it's every writers worst nightmare to have a character be considered a Mary-Sue, so I try really hard to make my OCs have all of those wonderful faults that make us each human. And- while I've never even held a job for longer than a summer- I feel like there's always some kind personal spin to **everything** in the professional world, especially when you're stuck working with the same day-in and day-out. So, yeah, rivalries and relationships are going to be a thing in this fictional workplace lol_

**_HermioneandMarcus_**_and **Lila: **Thank you both very much :)_

**_FYI: Things are a little...M-Rated weird in the first section (directly below this note), so anyone with delicate sensibilities can go on and skip ahead._**

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* * *

His breath hitched and turned into a strangled moan of torturous pleasure as Lyndel slowly lowered herself onto him once more. The feeling of her slick, warm walls hugging his heavy, hard member was just too good, and his body shook as she fully engulfed him.

Her panted breaths were music to his ears as she worked herself on him, her soft hands pressed to his chest as she rode him. A low whine rang from her bitten lips as she went down on him again, a look of anxious concentration gracing her flushed face.

An agitated growl broke from Alec's throat as he gripped her hips and slammed into her, desperation forcing him to break her slow-and-steady pace.

He felt her quiver as he took over, repositioning her on top of him and hitting _just _the right spot- the one that turned her quiet moans into wild cries. A suffocating heat filled the atmosphere as his frenzied thrusts pushed them each closer and closer to a sweet oblivion. The delicious sound of his sweet Lyndel's pleasured screams met his ears as she tightened around him, her pulsating walls drawing him to his own loud, desperate end as he thrust his hips up one last time and emptied his seed into her.

Then, it all ended. The hot, sex filled air, the passionate breaths and fevered body of a sexually gratified Lyndel resting on his heaving chest…

He was alone. Alone in his now sticky bed with nothing but the memory of a very hot, very wet dream.

"Fuck!" He shouted angrily, beating a fist against his mattress.

Annoyed, Alec threw the bed sheets off of his naked body and stood, ripping the sheets off the bed entirely and carrying them to the in-suite washer and dryer. Starting the load, he then traveled to the bathroom to clean himself up after the _third _wet dream in the month.

After the first two, he knew he shouldn't of fallen asleep nude- even a pair of boxers would have saved him the hassle of washing his bedding- but the exhaustion of his 4am wake up calls had beaten him. And now he, and his sheets, paid the price.

* * *

"Sounds like you need to get laid." Demetri commented as he and Alec walked through the front door of their office.

Alec sighed, "I tried that; in the beginning, actually. It worked for about two days…." He trailed off; his thoughts focusing on the one top Lyndel wore that had the round tops of her pert breasts peeking out. He was talking with Eleazar when he caught sight of leaning over the back of her chair, stretching out her spine and pressing her plump tits against the unyielding blouse.

He had nearly died.

"Well, you gotta do something, man." His friend told him as they walked towards the elevators, "Unless she really fucks something up, Lyndel isn't going any- Speak of the Devil. Lyn!"

A blonde woman waiting for the lift abruptly turned and smiled at the two men. Demetri happily dove into a conversation, but Alec's attention was caught by an inconsistency.

When she had turned, her eyes kept moving and her pupils were different sizes. Even now, standing still ad focusing on a stationary thing- Demetri- she seemed disoriented.

"Are you alright?" He asked suddenly, grabbing the two other's attention. While Demetri looked confused, Lyndel seemed rather suspicious when she gave him a weak smile and gently insisted that she was fine.

He wasn't convinced. Especially when the elevator arrived and she all but fell into the car.

Demetri's eyes caught his own and he knew they were both thinking the same thing.

What the hell was going on with Lyndel Parker?

The two of them entered the lift after her stood against the back wall, silently watching as the young woman turned pale and slid down to the floor. In an instant, both Alec and Demetri were kneeling by her side.

"Lyndel?"

"Are you alright?"

Gingerly, the woman nodded, though her head stayed placed between her knees and her eyes squeezed shut. The disgusting feeling of nausea spiced her throat and shaky breaths rocked her body.

"Lyndel?" A smooth voice asked again, the deep sound soothing her pounding head and aching stomach. She felt a cold hand brush back her curtain of hair and run down her spine.

Suddenly, the lift jerked to a stop- jostling her already aggravated stomach- and the doors slid open.

With great care, she ignored the roaring in her ears and the dizziness in her head as she tried to stand. As she wobbled on her feet, a firm arm wrapped around her waist and led her to her blessedly close desk.

Whoever was helping her lowered the woman into her chair and kept a hold on her arm as his other hand pressed against her forehead.

"Lyndel?" The voice asked again, "Open your eyes."

She did as she was told and saw blue eyes staring into her own with a frightening concentration. Though he was looking into her eyes, it was blatantly obvious that he wasn't looking at _her. _He seemed to be searching for something in the mess of brownish green that was her particular brand of hazel.

Demetri walked up, handing her a cup of water and a damp paper towel before insisting she see a doctor.

"No, no," she said with a dry throat and a very slight shake of her head, "I'm fine. It was probably just motion sickness or something. It's not uncommon to happen in elevators."

"But to that degree?" Alec questioned sternly, "Besides, have you ever had motion sickness before?"

"That's irrelevant."

"It's as relevant as you are infuriating," He argued, his voice getting shockingly loud. He took it down a few notches after seeing her frightened reaction. "Lyndel, something is wrong and you know it. Remember when you nearly collapsed walking out of my office a few weeks ago? Did you ever get that checked out?"

She rolled her eyes- and regretted it as soon as the dizziness hit her- and dispelled his concerns.

"It's nothing, really." She assured the men in front of her, "I'll be fine. Now, if you gentlemen don't mind, I've got work to do." To emphasis her point, Lyndel spun her chair to face the computer and logged on, the Window's startup sound sending the boys away.

~8~

"Renata?"

The woman looked up at her approaching boss.

"Email Eleazar. Tell him that Lyndel Parker is sick and to limit her physical activity today."

The assistant obediently nodded and started typing, sending the message to both Eleazar and Biers- seeing as they both had control over Parker's workload- before promptly returning to her previous work.

* * *

"Parker!"

Lyndel jumped in her seat- bringing on another minor headache- and turned around.

"Yes, Mr. Biers?"

He dropped a small pile of folders into her lap.

"Take that down to the mailing room." He demanded nonchalantly.

"Yes, Mr. Biers." She said obediently, turning her chair around and slipping on black heels. The world around her spun as she rose to her feet, but she ignored it with nothing more than a mental note to try to make it to the doctor at some point.

She made the short trek from her desk to the elevator with no incident. However, recalling the near-vomiting situation from the morning, she diverted to the stairwell, instead.

With an exhausted sigh, she flung open the door and began walking down, keeping a firm grip on the handrail as she did.

Outside the stairs, waiting for the elevator, stood Diego and Bree, deep in a discussion of water-cooler politics when a short, high-pitched shriek broke through their communication cycle.

Quickly, the pair jumped over to the stair well and opened the door, Diego calling out.

"Hi," came a meek, tepid response. The voice was clearly in pain, sending both Diego and Bree dashing down the stairs.

Three platforms down, Lyndel Parker was sitting in the corner with a notch on her head, tears on her face, and a scrapped hand nursing her right arm. Papers and folders were scattered among the steps and landing.

"Could one of you call a cab?" She asked casually, though the scratch in her voice gave her pain away, "I think I should make a quick trip to the ER."

Bree nodded and darted back up stairs.

Diego kneeled down and wrapped his arms carefully around the injured woman, gingerly lifting her from the cold platform and acting as a human crutch as the made their way back upstairs. Bree met them at the door and wrapped an arm around Lyndel's waist.

"The cab is on its way," She told them as they got the woman to her desk, "I told Eleazar and he said to just go home after the hospital and forget about work for a while."

She nodded ever-so-slightly and bent over to get her purse. Bree beat her to the punch – she seemed to like doing that- and gathered her stuff for her. As Lyndel stuck out her arm for her purse, Bree swiped it up to her own shoulder.

"I'm going with you," She said simply, "Just let me go get my phone and wallet and I'll meet you in the lobby. Diego, head down with her, would you?"

The man nodded and hooked an arm around Lyn's waist and walking with her to the elevator.

~8~

With a shaking hand, Renata replaced the phone to the receiver.

Lyndel was in the hospital. And _she'd_ have to be the one to tell Alec.

Why did she suddenly feel ill?

Okay, alright, it'll be fine. She just had to handle this properly.

According to Eleazar- who was speaking for Brenna Tanner- Lyndel Parker was walking down the stairs when she assumedly fell and injured herself. Ms. Tanner accompanied the injured woman to the hospital. A preliminary investigation arose the idea that she was running an errand when she was in the stair well. Considering this and the email from Alec Volturi requesting a lack of physical activity from the now injured party, Camargo decided to halt the investigation until further notice.

Renata knew without question that Eleazar had made the right move.

Alec would be furious enough as it is. The last thing they needed was him pissed about mishandling the situation.

However, she also knew- without question- that if Alec were in charge this would be mishandled anyway. She had to handle this herself. And she had to get it done before Alec found out.

Instantly, she picked the phone back up and dialed the number that everyone hated.

"Chelsea Gaudette." A feminine, yet firm voice answered.

"Chelsea, it's Renata. We have a problem and we need it handled. Low-key, ASAP. Can you do that?"

"What's the problem?"

Four hours later, Renata knocked on the CEO's door.

"Come in."

Hesitantly, she opened the door and stepped inside, standing herself in front of Alec's desk.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, noting her avoidance of eye contact and hunched shoulders.

"There was an accident," she began, noticing the sound of a squeaking chair as her boss leaned back, "Everyone is fine, as far as I'm aware. A dislocated shoulder and possible concussion, but not severely threatening."

"Who was hurt?" he asked emotionlessly.

"She tripped going down the stairs-"

"Renata?"

"Diego and Bree got to her-"

"Renata."

"Bree's with her at the hospital-"

"Renata!" He called, his now booming voice filling the room.

"Lyndel Parker." She told him, still avoiding his eyes, "As of now, it looks like she was running an errand for Biers when she fell."

The office could have been a meat locker with how cold her boss suddenly got. She was reminded of Aro, in a way. A perfectly pleasant person and friend, until you piss him off. Then, it's like standing in a knife-shop with Robert Kuklinski.

"Wait for a full report from the hospital," he told her with a blank tone to his voice, "When it arrives, call Biers in. Understood?"

She nodded firmly and walked out the door, waiting until she was at her own desk to let the frightened shaking begin.

* * *

A knocking ripped her from the happy reclusiveness of sleep.

Scowling, Lyndel rolled off of the couch and shuffled to the door, ignoring the black spots in her sleepy vision. If her sight had been on par, she would have checked the peep hole. However, it wasn't and she didn't, so the confusion in her mind was sincere when she opened the door and saw the 23 year old of Canto Gioiello standing in front of her.

Still overcome by sleep, she moved to the side and gestured in doors, ushering him into her humble abode.

He took the invitation with grace and stepped inside, following the young woman as she sluggishly traveled to the kitchenette. He stood awkwardly in the opening and watched with interest as Lyndel got herself a glass of water.

Her steps- if you could call them that- were shambled and messy, and he clearly noticed the way she kept her eyes squinted and her pained swallowing of the drink. She still had her headache.

"I was on my way home and thought I'd stop by, make sure you were alright." He told her, his eyes scanning the counter tops aimlessly when he saw a little orange prescription bottle sitting in the corner. "Are you?"

She nodded, kind of, and started to speak.

"The doctor wants me back tomorrow for some blood tests. They think I may be anemic or something."

He nodded. "And the pills?"

"Painkillers." She told him simply, "For the shoulder. I feel fine, though. I took some Tylenol earlier and that was sufficient, so I'll probably just end up taking them back to the pharmacy."

He nodded once more and fell silent, trying to think of a way to keep the conversation going. He didn't feel comfortable leaving her, not yet. After answering with a false positive the past three times he's asked her, Alec knew he couldn't trust her when she said she was "fine". Until he reached that conclusion on his own, he wasn't going home. He wasn't going to leave her alone.

"So what happened in the elevator this morning?" He asked nonchalantly, walking into the kitchen and sitting on top of a counter.

He watched as she shrugged and started walking to her fridge. Alec knew that she knew what was wrong and was just too tired to talk about it. The poor girl was exhausted.

He hopped off the counter.

"Go sit on the couch," he commanded gently, motioning towards the living room they had walked through.

She gave an aggravated confused look.

He wasn't having it. "Now."

Conceding to the order she shuffled away from the ceramic flooring and onto the soft carpet. Once she was gone, he began raiding her pantries.

Memories of a very young Jane came back to him. The little girl had been diagnosed with anemia when she was in grade school. Their mother had fed her hotdogs every night for dinner until they reached junior high.

Smothering amusing thoughts of his sister's now very strong hatred for Oscar Meyer, Alec thought back to why the food of choice had been what it was.

Iron.

As he opened one of the cabinet doors, Alec was greeted with a jar of peanut butter.

Perfect.

~8~

Snuggled under her favorite blanket- created by her aunt- Lyndel was watching reruns of an 90s sitcom when Alec came out with a peanut butter and banana sandwich and a glass of milk.

He handed her the plate and set the glass on the in table before sitting on the couch himself. And scowling at the television. His hand reached for the remote and Lyndel kicked him, sending a death glare his way.

Shooting her an innocent smile, he leaned back and watched the show- which turned out to be a marathon.

He didn't leave for two and a half hours.


	5. Too Invisible

_**A/N: This chapter runs a little long. I was going to cut it off at the bar scene, but I didn't like the idea of leaving it there, so I extended it out.**_

* * *

A chilled breeze blew down the bustling street, weaving through a sea of bodies and cars, whipping up Lyndel's sandy waves. Her gloved hand held down the green beret that decorated the top of her head as she tried to stay calm. The early morning commute was wreaking havoc on her hair, but she refused to let it ruin her day. After a relaxing weekend and the incorporation of vitamin supplements into her diet, the 21 year old was finally beginning to feel better. She was well-rested, she was in an equally comfortable and professional outfit and- according to a tickled Brianna, who had gotten word from Alice, who heard from Kate who was told by Heidi- Riley Biers had been fired after a fast and thorough investigation by the HR department turned up a wide variety of sup-par evaluations and employee complaints.

Regardless of how relieved she was at the news, Lyndel wasn't sure whether to view this happening as a mere coincidence or whether something a little shadier happened. She was well aware of the fact that she specifically requested that a Mr. Alec Volturi not do anything about the bad boss, but she was quickly becoming aware of something else…

The young CEO of Canto Gioiello had been acting out of her expectations. She'd never had an employer care enough about her to come to her home, call her in the morning or email her at night- all which the 23 old man had done since her tumble. Hell, even her best friends didn't treat her so…special. A call or a text here or there when she was sick or injured was what she was used to, so the CEO of one of the biggest fashion houses in the world making personal visits to check on her threw her through about seven different loops.

And it wasn't as though she was making mountains out of mole hills. In fact, she was distinctively trying _not _to. She never wanted to be one of those girls who thought that every guy in the world was after them, but she wasn't blind to obvious signs. In her life, she could chalk up three different guys of whom she was rather sure harbored some sort of infatuation for her. With his abnormal amount of worry for her, Alec Volturi was the most recent addition to that highly exclusive list.

Thoughts continued to swirl and dance around her head as she finally made it to Canto Gioiello. After a month of work, the journey from the lobby to her desk was so ingrained that it was simply instinctual, allowing her more time to try to organize the thoughts that had been pestering her on and off for some time.

* * *

"Demetri says you're tight with the Parker girl."

Alec chuckled at his sister as they lounged in Aro's and Sulpicia's sitting room.

"I've been harassing her," he joked with an easy smile, "I won't say she's been the definition of responsive, though."

"Good." Jane hissed, "I don't like her."

He laughed once again and took a sip of his wine. "Yes, Janey, I'm very well aware of your distaste towards Lyndel."

Alec watched in amusement as his sister's eyes lit up, the 23 year old graphic artist sitting up and pointing an accusing finger at her twin.

"That's why you're doing this, isn't it?!" She shouted, "You're messing with me! Oh, you fucking jerk."

The girl slumped back into the cushioned chair and sighed before continuing, "So? Why are doing this? You mad that I saddled you with the company?"

Alec smiled at his sister and shook his head.

"You _do _know that you're the only person worrying about that, right?" He told her kindly, "I have no trouble with you following your dreams, neither do Aro or Sulpicia. Besides, your assumption is wrong. This isn't about you."

"It's about her?"

"Yup."

"And _only_ her?"

Alec let out an exasperated sigh and a humorless laugh. "Why is it so impossible to believe that I may just _like_ someone?"

"Because you don't like _anybody_, Alec." Aro said as he and Sulpicia entered the room.

"Oh, no, no, no, darling, you've got it wrong," Sulpicia told her husband with sugary sweet smile as she moved to sit in the seat across from Jane's, "Nobody likes _Alec."_

Jane and Aro fell into laughter as Alec smiled begrudgingly and sunk further into the couch.

"You're such a loving mother." The young man mumbled as he tried to smother his smile.

Sully gave him a humored look and responded with a laugh. "Do you want to go live with Athena and Caius?"

"I'm 23!" He cried, "I don't want to live with anyone!"

"Except Lyndel." Jane commented with a smirk.

"How'd we get that far?" Alec asked at the same time Sulpicia asked, "Who's Lyndel?"

Jane just smirked as Aro answered his wife.

"She's a new member in the marketing department. Eleazar is rather fond of her."

"So is Alec." Jane commented.

Sulpicia's eyes brightened as she turned to her nephew/adopted son.

"Oh really?"

Aro chuckled to himself as Alec looked at his twin. "Why would you do that to me?"

Before Jane could respond, Sulpicia spoke up again. "Tell me more about Lyndel."

"Tall," Jane answered before Alec could open his mouth to refuse, "Blonde. It looks natural enough. Young, too. Maybe early twenties…"

"21." Alec supplied without thought.

"Right…,"Jane commented, "Anyway, she's got degrees in Marketing and Psychology. Has got some health issues."

"Health issues?" Sulpicia asked.

Alec looked at Jane in confusion. "How did yo-"

"Demetri." She answered with a shit-eating grin.

Alec rolled his eyes and sunk further into the couch.

Sulpicia didn't let Jane's comment slide like her son was hoping. "Health issues, Alec?"

"Anemia." He barked, shooting a snarky look at his sister, "Sound familiar, Janey?"

She glared at him.

"F-f-f-fuck off, st-st-stutterer." She mocked.

"Children," Aro said calmly, bringing everyone's attention to him, "Let us journey to the dining room. I do believe dinner should be complete."

Everyone nodded and stood, Aro and Sulpicia walking out of the room with Jane and Alec following.

"Did you ever find out why he talks so weird?" Jane whispered to her brother.

"Sorry," He said with a smile, "I was too busy focusing on my st-st-stuttering."

Jane let out a breathy laugh and shoved her brother as they entered the dining room.

* * *

"So where's Jane?" Lyndel asked as she sipped her cola beverage, "I haven't seen her in a month and she seemed closed to you four, I would have thought she would be a regular on the Thursday night outings."

The four people at the table she knew best- Brianna, Tate, Jasper and Alice- all exchanged looks, as though they weren't sure how to proceed.

"She's, uh…been busy." Jasper said with a very distinct timidness.

Lyndel caught on easily and gave him a tight smile and knowing glance.

"She's avoiding me." The 21 year old translated. The country boy cringed and begrudgingly nodded.

"She really is busy, though," the big guy from last week- Felix, security master for the Volturi family- commented, "Aro and Sulpicia returned from their vacation yesterday. They're having a family dinner tonight."

Alice, Brianna and Tate all 'awed loudly (as drunk girls do) and dove into a heated and speedy discussion about their own families, leaving Lyndel to talk with the boys.

"They actually should be stopping by later tonight," Felix commented off-handedly before turning his attention back to Lyndel, "You'll probably be at home and tucked in bed by the time they show, though. Puritan."

"It's _Thursday._" She argued good-heartedly, "I don't know about anyone else here, but I _do_ have work tomorrow."

Felix laughed, but Jasper and Demetri seemed uncharacteristically pensive. Well…uncharacteristically for Demetri, at least.

"Why _do_ we do this on Thursdays?" Demetri asked, to no one in particular.

"I think Rose did it…" Jasper answered.

Lyndel observed with a level on interest that only comes to natural-born sociologist as Felix and Demetri scoffed and chuckled.

"That explains it." Felix noted lowly, shooting a pestering grin Jasper's way. The southern snarled in return.

Lyndel glanced around the table in confusion, waiting for someone to go into further detail.

"Who's Rose?"

"Oh my God," Brianna said, breaking her conversation with the other two girls and turning to Jasper, "I _love_ Rose!"

Jasper just grimaced and returned to sipping his scotch, much to the amusement of Alice.

Lyndel smiled at the two- ain't love grand? - Before turning back to Brianna.

"Seriously, Bri," she started, "Who the hell is Rose?"

"Oh!" The girl responded, bouncing in her seat a little bit, "Rose is Jazz's sister. Yeah, she got like, some kind of academic scholarship or something to a boarding school that _I_ just happened to be attending. Anyway, we were roommates for a while, before she was bumped into a hall for the gifted or some shit.

"But yeah, the scholarship wasn't a full-one, so she had to work. She got a part time job at some car shop and did a little bit of modeling. That's where she met Mary-Alice, who she later introduced to Jasper on one of his few visits up.

"On one of the visits, Tate and I decided that they all needed to see one of the football games of this rival school-"

"Best team in the state, and all." Tate added in for explanation.

Bri nodded and continued, "Mhmm. So Felix was a senior on the team and Rose became interested in him. I mean, like, _really _interested-"

"Move on." Felix commanded as he took a sip of his liquor.

Brianna shook her head on got back on track. "Anyway, while Alice and Jasper were talking up one of the school reporters - who just so happened to be a young Jane Volturi trying to break out of her depression-induced shell - , Rose ditched out with us and we went to this after party."

"She was going to make her move on Felix," Tate said, "But this really obnoxious JV player, Emmett, kept getting in the way."

"Somehow," Brianna commented with a long-shocked expression, as though she still couldn't believe the story, "He won her over. They moved to Rhode Island last year."

Lyndel nodded slowly as her brain worked over-time, desperately attempting to process all the information that was just thrown at her at 10 million miles a minute. Seriously, how the hell does that woman talk so _fast?_

"Okay…" She said slowly as her mind still tried to piece together everything she just learned, "So...what does that have to do with Thursdays again?"

"Oh," Brianna waved off, as if the connection were clear as day, "Most of the work she did at the shop and at shoots were during the weekend, so she scheduled her Friday classes for afternoon and evening and made Thursday night _her _Friday night."

"And that just kind of became our thing after a while." Tate finished.

Lyndel nodded again, her eyes still wide as she continued to recover from the information onslaught.

**~8~**

"So," Sulpicia began as the family began dinner, "What are your intentions with Lyndel?"

Alec could hear Jane snicker as he grimaced.

"Shouldn't it be _her_ mother asking me that?" He asked, paying very close attention to the food on his plate.

Sulpicia shrugged.

"Perhaps. However, I am very curious as to how a young man such as yourself intends to approach his newly fond affections."

"Mind you, though, darling," Aro responded with a sip of his wine, "This isn't a normal scenario. She works under his rule. Attempting to start anything other than a professional relationship with her could prove dangerous to both of their careers."

To his right, Alec could see his sister brighten.

"Exactly, Alec," she said with faux sympathy, "And since your career and the future of the company are intertwined, your choice about Ms. Parker could very easily affect a _lot_ more people than just the two of you."

He rolled his eyes dramatically and hissed, "Thank you, Jane. You are so very helpful."

She maintained her look of false concern and continued sweetly.

"But Alec, I'm just looking out for you, Brother dear."

He growled.

"If you don't shut your mouth, I'll shut it for you, Sister _dear._"

"Oh!" She laughed loudly, an evil glint coming over her eyes as she rose from her chair, "You really want to go th-"

"Children."

Jane fell silent and lowered back into her seat. Alec's eyes cast down as he pushed food around the fine-china plate in front of him.

No questioned Aro when he used that voice. No one.

From the corner of the dining room ticked a grandfather clock, accenting the heavy silence that took over in the wake of the ever-authoritative unspoken command by Aro.

Sulpicia was the first one to break the quiet.

"The new year is approaching, Alec," the red-head began lightly, "Every fashion city is going to be sending you invitation to Winter Fashion Weeks. Any idea which you wish to attend?"

"Don't go to Paris." Aro warned unexpectedly.

Alec was shocked.

"Bad?" the young man asked.

"Intimidating." Aro answered after a moment of thought, "Too much for a first timer."

Nodding at the sentiment, Alec admitted to considering visiting Milan.

"I figure that it's the original major fashion city, so much of the classic houses will be showing there. A prime opportunity for some major networking with some of the biggest and most respected names in high fashion.

"Also," He continued with a sly smile, "It's Italy."

That got a laugh out of his adoptive father.

"Ah, yes dear boy. The motherland!"

The rest of the table chuckled- caught up in Aro's contagious laughter- as Sulpicia turned to her boy with a learned smirk pulling at her thin lips.

"Milan is a romantic place, sweet boy." She told him cunningly, "I'm sure Lyndel would just love it."

Alec groaned and sunk in his dining room chair.

* * *

The table roared with drunken laughter and shouts as Jasper gagged on the supposedly bitter liquid singeing his esophagus. Lyndel chuckled heartedly at the sight, though her sober antics were far less flamboyant than her counterparts' drunken ones, and waited for the question to come to her.

"So," Felix said once everyone had calmed down, "Lynny: Truth or Shot?"

"Why do you even ask?" She smiled, "You know it's always going to be truth."

He shrugged, "I'm hopeful. So truth? Hmm…anyone got one?"

"Oh!" Alice squeaked, "I do! Lyndel, what's the _most _trouble you've _ever_ gotten in?"

She paused, taking a moment to go over the stand-out chidings she'd received in her young life. There were obvious reprimands from her family, and about two detentions in her K-12 career, but she got the feeling that her intoxicated friends were looking for something more scandalous than a failed homework assignment and cell phone violation.

So she dug deep, desperately trying to recall all of the most asinine situations she had gotten herself into at one point or another.

"I stole a car, once." She admitted freely, much to the delight of the other table-dwellers, "I didn't get in any trouble, though. I was at this guy's so-called party with a friend of mine and the host was being a total asshole. I never really liked him, anyway, and his keys were just lying there, so…yeah…"

Brianna slapped the table.

"No 'so yeah'!" She shouted, "What happened!? What did you do with the car!? How did you not get in trouble!?"

Lyndel shrugged.

"I just drove around the county for a few hours. Turned on the radio and wasted the guy's gas. Unsurprisingly- in my opinion- the lonesome and illegal drive was much more entertaining to me than the party was."

She watched Jasper nod in agreement before he asked, "But how'd you avoid the trouble?"

She smirked.

"I'm a slick talker and a gossip girl," She explained simply, "With my ten-dollar vocabulary, quick speech rate and bank of shit I had on that boy- including hard drug use, his own theft and possible sexual misconduct- it was pretty easy to avoid him calling the police."

Demetri and Felix laughed before shouting harmoniously at the bar door.

"Hey!

At the shouts of the two men, Lyndel turned to the bar entrance.

In walked the Volturi twins- both dressed in high quality, high fashion attire and thus, rather out of place in the hole-in-the-wall joint.

Jane was in a black sweater dress with a cowl neck and oblique, grey tights. Her hair was pulled into a French twist type thing (twists weren't really Lyndel's area of expertise) and her makeup was nothing more than some grey eye shadow.

Next to her, Alec donned a pair of well-fitted, dark grey pants and a dark green sweater with a…claret colored dress shirt underneath. Much to her own amusement, Lyndel could feel her mouth begin to water. She was never one for the linguistic suicide that is urban dialect…but _damn_ that boy was _fine!_

"Stop ogling your boss, Lyn!" Felix shouted obnoxiously, drawing attention to the devilish smile she was giving Alec.

The Volturi heir smirked and winked at her.

"He was talking about Jane," Lyndel lied easily, turning to the now sitting woman suggestively. "Hey, girl."

While the rest of the table seemed amused by her falsified flirtation- a variety of giggles and snort creating an interesting chorus of laughter- Jane simply shot the joking woman a dirty look and suggested they change topics.

"Alright," Demetri shrugged, "We were playing Truth or Shot before you guys showed up. Alec, truth or shot?"

"Shot." He said instantly, stretching his arm over the back of Lyndel's chair, "Five of them. Please."

"Bad night?" Jasper asked as he reached to the empty table behind him and picked up a few shot glasses.

"Great night." Jane answered, sending an evil smile her brother's way. Alec responded by flipping her off and downing the first shot.

"Jane, truth or shot?"

"Pass."

"You can't pass!" Felix shouted, flabbergast at the disregard for the bar-game.

She shrugged. "I don't want to go right now."

"Then exchange your turn," Alice explained simply, "Duh."

Lyndel watched in fear as another wicked smile pulled at the young woman's lips and bright eyes darted to her hazel ones. Oh, this couldn't end well.

"Alright," the heiress began, maintaining perfect eye contact with her frightened prey, "Parker: truth, or shot?"

"I just went!" The girl with golden hair argued.

Jane just smiled sweetly and replied, "No, _Alec_ just went. So I repeat, truth or shot?"

Hazel eyes darted around the table, desperately looking for some kind of support in her retaliation. The sparkling and anticipatory smile of the drunken members of the party told her she was alone.

She sighed.

"Truth."

"Okay," Alice smiled, spilling her drink as she leaned over the table towards Jane, "We've already done embarrassing moments, family memories and high school and college stories."

"So basically, if you want to embarrass her you're out of luck." Demetri finished, knowing Jane far too well to be under the impression that picking Lyndel was anything of innocent.

His statement got a good laugh out of the woman.

"Demetri, sweetie," Jane giggled, "You severely underestimate me."

A cold dread coursed through Lyndel's body as she sat silently, fearfully anticipating what the acclaimedly twisted mind of Jane Volturi would cook up as a question. And in front of Alec, too. However, a quick glance to the man beside her- now nursing some kind of brown liquor after finishing his shots- gave her a glimmer of hope. Maybe he'd get so trashed tonight that he wouldn't remember anything.

"Lyndel," the cool voice of the Volturi girl began, "How did you lose your virginity?"

Heat overtook her face and a rumble of laughter rolled through the occupants of the table.

Fuck, she really hoped Mr. Volturi didn't remember this tomorrow. Some things just should _not_ be heard by a person's employer.

"You could've exchanged it, ya' know?" Demetri told her with a shit-eating-grin.

She groaned and hit her forehead against the table, mumbling a variety of obscenities.

"Gotta answer it now, though." He said with a disgusting delight.

Taking a deep breath, Lyndel mentally cursed before swallowing her blush and answering.

"I didn't."

The table fell silent, all eyes settled on the blushing young woman hiding behind a curtain of honey colored waves.

She could just imagine the looks on Demetri and Felix's faces, those goofy fucking smiles as the prepped all of the jokes in their heads. Jasper would probably have her back- he seemed like the type of guy to respect waiting, even if he didn't do it himself. Everyone else, though, their reactions were up in the-

"That's adorable!"

Lyndel glanced up and saw Brianna rise from her chair, stumble, and wobble over to her, hugging her from behind.

The alcohol in the other woman's breath was so potent that Lyndel was nearly certain she got buzzed just by smelling it. Thankfully, though, the antic was so silly that the tension at the table was broken. People began to laugh and talk as normal- Tate pulled Brianna back to her chair- and the light hearted attention eventually focused back on Lyndel.

"So," Felix began suggestively, "A virgin?"

She smiled nervously as her blush returned and she let out an awkward laugh.

"Yeah," She admitted freely, "I never dated in high school and only had one boyfriend in college and it just never happened."

"That's good little lady." Jasper told her with a proud smile, "You keep that up."

Her blush deepened and she looked back down, fascinated by twirling her pearl ring around her finger.

"No, seriously!" Alice shouted, "That's important! Too many girls loss it the wrong way and regret it later. You hold tight! And if you hold out until marriage than more power to you!"

Lyndel just laughed awkwardly.

"It's not like it's intentional or anything," She told everyone, attempting to dispel any ideas that she was unnecessarily prudish, "The opportunity just never came up."

_That _got a laugh out of the guys.

"Trust me," Alec told her with amusement, leaning in a little too close for the average employee-employer relationship, "If you dated a guy in college, every second was an opportunity."

"Not an appropriate one, though." She argued timidly, her fingers becoming cold as she played with one of his empty shot glasses.

"He didn't care."

She barked out a bitter laugh, rolling her eyes in attempt to dry up the slowly forming tears of memory's past. "You didn't even know him."

"Doesn't matter," Alec smiled lazily, "Any straight and sane male would fall at his feet for a chance with you."

This time, her laugh was cutting. Barbed. Any lightness in their argument was gone. The buzzed man next to her had struck a very sensitive, very old nerve of Lyndel's.

"Really?" She spat, venom in her words and tears stinging her eyes, "Any guy would just die to have me, wouldn't they, Sir? Oh, they definitely would. That's why they always did. Oh, yup, mhmm. It was always _me_ that guys flirted with. Not my best friends or anything. No, guys certainly didn't completely ignore me as they chatted up my friends. It wasn't like I was ever completely _invisible_ to the opposite sex and maybe _that's _why I'm so socially behind. No, of course not. Guys always tried to get with me; I just never gave them a chance because _I _have _standards._"

She stood abruptly, her chair nearly knocking over as she ripped her jacket and bag from the back of it.

"It's not because I'm some kind of social leaper," She continued ranting as she dug through her purse, "Men don't avoid me because I have some kind of male repellent imbedded in my genetic code. No, it has nothing to do with my appearance, even though 21 years of anecdotal evidence says that I _have _to be seven different kinds of fugly- regardless of the fact that I've always thought I was kind of cute. But that's what you're saying, isn't it Sir? That I'm just _so _attractive, right? And the only logical explanation as to why I'm a 21 year old virgin, as to why I'm well into prime dating time and I've only ever been in one relationship, is that I have too high of standards. That's it, isn't it?"

She violently tossed a few bills- 50s and 20s- onto the table.

"Drinks are on me." She mumbled, tugging on her jacket and storming out of the bar.

* * *

Music played t deaf ears as warm cotton wrapped around her hands. With an expertise that may as well have been as ingrained in her nature as breathing, Lyndel swiftly folded her clean clothes in the empty laundromat. Of course the mat was empty, though. It was one-thirty in the morning on a work night. Who the hell does their laundry at one-thirty in the morning?

Well, she did, but that's not saying much.

She just needed a distraction. Her mind kept swirling around the tantrum from earlier that night.

It was totally uncalled for, obviously. And probably one of the worst decisions of her life.

She screamed at her boss. In what realm was that any kind of a good idea? And it wasn't like anyone she knew here knew enough to even _try_ to justify her actions for her. No, no one here was any kind of present in her life up until a few months ago, so no one knew of all of the times she was ignored, invisible, or of all of the times her condescending friends would always try to justify her social inadequacy.

'Oh, you're just too pretty' or 'Oh, you're just too smart'.

But she wasn't. She wasn't 'too' anything. Everything about her was perfectly average. The only thing that ever stood out about her- as far as she knew- was how awkward she was. And even then, she didn't think she was _that _bad. She talked and joked and laughed just as much as the next person. And while she may not have been a "partier," she never looked down on anyone for partaking in the common actions of young people. On paper, she was totally approachable.

So why didn't anyone approach her?

The small chime of the entrance bell hit her ear- the one that wasn't currently occupied by an ear bud- and she turned to the door.

Towards her walked Alec Volturi, shirt messed up and hair tussled. He wore another lazy smile- a particularly powerful one, according to the blood rush to rather…particular parts to virgin body. With a shocking amount of grace for someone who seemed more than a little buzzed, the young man hopped up on one of the washing machines next to her.

"Hello, Sad Clown."

"Why is that my moniker?" She asked, keeping her eyes on the cotton shirt in her hands.

"Idunknow." The tipsy one answered truthfully, "Tate and Alice told me about it. Seems fitting."

She rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks. I'm a clown."

"You're not a clown." He mumbled, scooting closer to her, "You're too pretty to be a clown."

She cringed.

Again with the 'too'. Honestly, she doubted that another word in the English language that pissed her off more. Too. Too, too, too. It taunted her, lapping her mind, reminding her of all of the lies she was always told- which reminded her of how much a social outcast she was. Too, too, too, too, too.

"Parker?"

Too.

At the touch of his skin against her own, Lyndel jerked back to reality.

His hand was resting gently on her forearm and his blue eyes- slightly clouded with a boozy overtone- stared at her in concern. After taking a moment to wonder why he was looking at her like that, the 21 year old noticed the wetness in her eyes. God freaking dammit, this crying was going to be the end of her.

"Lyn?"

She pulled away, shaking her head and returning to her laundry. She didn't want to talk about it. The only thing _that_ would bring is another tantrum and mascara on her face.

He didn't seem to be deterred by her rejection. Instead of taking the hint and leaving the upset girl to herself, he pushed her laundry basket aside and scooted in front of her, resting his hands on her hips as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

In a matter of hours, she would be freaking out. She would be running over all different possible connotations to this simple, yet intimate action and what the hell that could possibly mean for the maintenance of their employee/employer relationship. But right now, at this moment, for whatever reason, that didn't mean anything.

"Lyndel?"

"I don't want to talk about it." She told him quietly, her voice sticking her throat as she choked back tears, "Please? I just…I just really don't want to talk."

He stared at her, and it felt like an eternity. She wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing, she just knew that relief washed over her when he nodded sympathetically. Liquidly, he hopped off the machine and loosely wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a limp hug. Unsure of how to respond, she simply stood and allowed him control. And much to her delight, a warm, fuzzy feeling draped around her when he pressed his lips to the top of her head. For this moment in time, at 1:33am on a Thursday night, Lyndel forgot her troubles and worries and anxieties. For this split second moment, she was just a girl. Just a normal, undamaged, socially acceptable girl in the arms of a gorgeous guy.

And honestly? It felt kind of nice.


	6. 2 Mile Coffee Walk

_**A/N: I've been typing this chapter in pieces for the past week and I finally got it done. Plus, I'm officially done with high school. I think both of these achievements call for some left over ice cream cake.**_

_**Anyway, it's late and I'm tired and my bed is not even a foot away from me. Good night to all.**_

* * *

An obnoxious buzzing from the bed side table dragged Lyndel from a sound sleep. Her hand mindless began to slam on her alarm clock before her half-conscious mind processed the fact that the intrusive buzzing was coming from her cell phone. Groaning, she disconnected the device from its charger and checked the screen, noticing the tiny envelope in the top corner telling her that she had a new email.

Pulling down the drop menu, she tapped on the email and read it through blurry eyes.

_Sender: clearwaterleah_

_Subject: Emergency Memo_

_Office is closed due to extreme weather conditions. Further information will be supplied by email when available. _

_Be safe and have a nice day._

_-HR_

Surprised, Lyndel flopped her lead body out of bed and shuffled over to her bed room window. When she opened the curtains, she was blinded.

It was early November, and the normally colorful trees and autumn flowers had vanished- smothered out by the blanket of snow that coated the outside world. She had lived her entire life on the North-Eastern coast and she still wasn't use to the weather extremes.

Sighing heavily, the young lady scooted back to her bed and snuggled under her blankets for another minute or two of sleep before waking up and going on a coffee hunt.

**~0~**

"You canceled work?"

"Yes." Alec answered simply as he pulled on his heavy-duty work boots that were hardly (read: never) used for actual work. "The last time there was a storm like this and Aro didn't call off work half of the force was at least two hours late and the other half didn't even come in. I figured I'd save everyone some trouble and just call it off like almost every other office in the city. But, I mean, if you want to go in today, feel free. I, on the other hand, am going to get coffee."

"You think they're open?"

"It's New York, Demetri. Coffee is always open."

"And so you're going out in this?"

"Yeah…"

"I'm buying you a home brewer."

* * *

Even standing in the bitter-cold snow, he couldn't deny the warm feeling he got when he saw sweet face-pink lips devoid of her copper lipstick and hazel eyes lined in nothing but bare lashes- milling in one of the only open coffee shops in the area.

Her usually tamed hair was in a mass of golden curls and waves, sticking out from under a purple knit-cap that seemed to be selected more so to match her navy-blue pea coat than to actually keep her head warm. Then again, perhaps her hair did that just fine.

The jacket itself seemed to be selected to coordinate with her green and blue fleece pajama bottoms and strategically neutral black snow boots.

As he watched her- a young lady who obviously just rolled out of bed yet was still an image to be revered- he was brought back to the night at the bar. The one when she had unintentionally exposed her greatest fear to a table full of people.

He remembered her yelling about her invisibility, her repulsiveness to the opposite sex (his very own) before storming out. He also remembered- partially- meeting her in a laundromat later that evening. Then again, he was very drunk and the memory was very sketchy, so it may have been a dream.

But what he knew for absolute certainty was that Lyndel Parker, a self-proclaimed social leper and male repellent, had attracted the attention of three different men in the coffee shop. And judging by the timid way she subconsciously wrapped her coat tighter around her, she knew it; consciously or not.

And by this action, a question that had been bothering him for weeks was settled.

It wasn't that Lyndel didn't realize that she was a beautiful girl. She _had_ to know that. The way she carried herself, the way she presented herself, the way she interacted with her peers and coworkers made it clear to him that she had _some_ confidence. Though it was easy for anyone with an ounce of social awareness to tell that her charisma was a learned trait instead of a natural one, it was still there. And no one can be self-conscious about their social standing can be _that _charming.

No, she knew that she was beautiful. She knew that people noticed her. She knew that she _was _too pretty, too smart.

She knew it, and it frightened her.

It goes back to the charisma.

She wasn't a social person, not by nature. Everything about social interaction she knew was practiced and learned. And she was still learning. Every time he saw her talking outside of the office or at the bar, she was observing and analyzing. Her Psychology degree wasn't simply a résumé filler or a time-waster, as it is with most students. She took the class for personal purposes, so that she could better understand the social interactions that she was unaccustomed to.

For whatever reason, the young woman was _just _now learning the basics of platonic and professional relationships. She still knew nothing about romantic or sexual advances- how to identify them, how to properly respond, ect.- and the lack of knowledge frightened her.

She wasn't invisible because of some kind of social caste system.

She was invisible because she chose to be.

And judging by one of the leering men, now rising to supposedly approach the unknowingly frightened girl, it wasn't working very well.

Alec took that as his queue and walked into the coffee shop, right up to an unsuspecting Lyndel.

Wrapping his arm around her waist and placing a light kiss by her ear, he whispered "Play along."

Whether from shock or simply because she trusted him, Lyndel fell into the role naturally. He watched with an unidentified joy as a simple smile graced her bare lips and she turned into him, pecking his cold cheek with a light kiss before turning back to face the counter.

Out of the corner of his eye, Alec watched in triumph as the man strayed course with a sneer and returned to his table. Overcome by a sense of male victory, he pulled Lyndel closer to him. Again, she fell into the role naturally- wrapping her own arm around his back as they approached the counter.

"What can I get for you two?" An unenthusiastic young barista questioned.

"Straight black, please." Lyndel ordered with an endearing shyness, "Grandé?"

Whether or not it was her enrapturing innocence or her just-woke-up natural beauty that snapped the young man in front of them out of his funk, Alec couldn't be sure. What he did know, however, was that the teenager was suddenly standing tall and giving them his full attention.

"Sure thing, miss." He addressed with a smile, "And you, sir?"

Alec couldn't help but smile at the boy's reaction. Hopeless case or not, boys will always put on their best act around a pretty girl.

"Same, please."

The boy nodded and gave them the total. Before Lyndel had the chance to dig into her pockets, Alec had his wallet out and was handing the young man a $10 bill, telling him to keep the change.

Together, the make-shift couple moved to the pickup counter and waited for their drinks.

"I was going to pay for those." Lyndel commented as she toyed with a CD rack. She seemed to be ignoring the fact that his arm was still wrapped around her. He was okay with that.

"I can buy you a cup of coffee, Parker."

"Why did you?" She asked casually, as though they were discussing something as mundane as his choice in tie-pattern. "What's with this whole 'play along' thing?"

He chuckled and leaned in closer, pressing his lips to her ear once more. He pretended to ignore her hitched breath and delighted eye roll.

"I was simply saving the princess, m'lady."

This time when she sighed, it was a sound of annoyance as oppose to one of delight.

"Was I gonna get a creep, again?"

He chuckled. "Yup."

She groaned just as a behind-the-scenes barista slid their coffee in front of them. Lyndel grabbed her cup and walked over the self-flavour station, popping the lid off and mixing in half-and-half and vanilla herself.

"Don't trust the worker bees?" Alec asked with a smile as he sipped his black coffee.

"I'm very particular." She said as she added a dash of caramel flavouring, "I only trust two baristas at my own coffee shop, but they're closed today, so I'm on my own."

"Yeah, I was a little confused when I saw you in here," He admitted as they walked out of the shop and into the snow, "Don't you live like…two miles east?"

She smiled up at him easily and replied, "Caffeine addiction can make people do crazy things."

He chuckled and rolled his eyes as they turned down his street.

"Where do you live?" She asked casually.

"Right here," He told her, nodding to the building on the corner in front of them.

Her hazel eyes grew wide and she stopped short.

"Oh," she began, "I guess I'll go, than."

He smiled and shook his head.

"No you won't." He told her, pointing up to a fast approaching storm cloud that was beginning to darken the sky. "I don't give a damn how fast of a walker you are, Parker, you're not going to beat that thing home and I'm not going to let you chance it. Let's go, Princess."

He watched in amusement as the young lady before him stared at the sky, judging the threat level of the storm before reluctantly turning to him and continuing the short walk to his apartment.

* * *

"I should actually thank you." Lyndel noted off-handedly as she set her drink on the floor and started taking off her snow boots and jacket, exposing her short sleeved jersey tee shirt.

"For the coffee?" Alec asked jokingly and he closed the door to his apartment.

Lyndel looked up at him and smiled.

"Thanks for the coffee." She responded, "But no. For the snow day. I assume you have final Veto power over these decisions?"

Alec nodded as he led her to the beige couch in his living room before walking to the kitchen.

"Yup. Why? Didn't want to come into work today?" He asked as he searched through a cabinet.

She gave the lighthearted question a moment's thought before replying.

"I actually wouldn't have minded." She told him with a small smile, "I'm not very fond of snow, but I've personally never been troubled with commuting in it."

"As demonstrated by the two mile coffee walk." He commented with a laugh as he returned from the kitchen, two empty mugs in hand.

She chuckled as she took a mug and transferred her steaming beverage into the more stable container.

Alec took their empty cardboard cups and tossed them in a small trash bin near the couch before sitting down with Lyndel, who was currently curled up on a far cushion and sipping on her drink. Her hazel eyes were gazing around his apartment mindlessly as she took in her strange surroundings. He gave himself a moment to appreciate the intimate image of the beautiful woman in her pajamas and enjoying her morning coffee on his couch before continuing the conversation.

"So if you were fine with going in today, why so happy about the snow day?"

She smiled to herself as her eyes continued to wander.

"My dad would always tell my brother and me not get use to our schools' snow days because the real world didn't have them." She chuckled and took another sip of coffee before continuing, "It'll be nice to just be like 'In your face, Daddy.'"

Alec chuckled. "'Daddy'?"

She cocked an eyebrow and sent him a challenging smirk, "Are you judging me? Why, what do you call your dad?"

Alec shrugged simply. "Dead, usually."

He watched in amusement as the 21 year old across from him choked on her drink momentarily before regaining her wits.

"Okay," She coughed out, "Well…uh…wow. Alright, I'm giving you an opportunity to change the subject. If you choose not to, then be aware that my next question will be about how he died."

Alec nodded soberly before answering. "It's really no problem. It happened ten years ago, so I've pretty much moved on- at least, as much as someone _can_ from the death of their parents."

"Both of your parents?" Lyndel asked, all of her attention on him, her hazel eyes boring into his blue ones.

"Yeah," He told her, looking down at his mug, "There was a house fire when I was thirteen. We all got out alive, but Mom and Dad didn't make it through the night. Jane and I went to live with our uncle, Aro and his wife, Sulpicia."

"How were you and Jane?"

Alec took a breath before answering. "Jane was burned up pretty bad on her legs. I made it out relatively fine."

Lyndel nodded sympathetically and opened her mouth to say something else before Alec interrupted her.

"Anyway," He said as he shook the fog of memories past from his head, "Enough with the depressing. Tell me about your family."

Lyndel barked out a laugh- which was accompanied by a howl of wind as a new storm approached outside.

"Not really a path you want to go down to get away from stories of parental death, Sir." She warned as she sipped from her dwindling coffee supply.

His eyes fell to the pearl ring that seemed to have a permanent place on her right hand as he recalled the interview from a few months ago. Sentimental value, possibly from a family member, definitely from someone who was no longer in her life.

"Your mother?" He summarized aloud.

She followed his gaze downward and started nervously spinning the ring with her thumb.

"Yeah." She said softly, "She died when I was fifteen from a hemorrhagic stroke."

Alec watched intently as the young woman before him began to shake. Her face quickly changed from her normal, warm beige color to a sickly pale and her lips went dry. It was clear to him that she hadn't quite come as far as he had in dealing with her tragedy. Before he could stop her, however, she dove into the story of her mother's demise.

"I was walking home from school and saw her car in the drive way. She worked from home a lot of the time, so I didn't really think too much about it. But when I went to the kitchen to get a snack she was just…she was just…there, ya' know? Just on the floor, eyes wide open and glassy and there was… ya' know…blood around her head from when she cracked her skull during the fall."

She sniffled slightly and brought a shaking hand up to wipe away over flowing tears as she let out a humorless laugh. Outside, the snow storm winds picked up intensity.

"I don't really remember anything from that point until her funeral." She murmured, as though ashamed, "It's not uncommon, of course. Many people black out extremely painful memories; others remember them as vividly as though the memories are a movie playing through their minds. You seem to remember the fire fairly well, so I assume you're one the latter. You accept your fear and move on from it. I, on the other hand, seem to be the type of coward that hides from her pain, instead of confronting it.

"I wasn't the one that called 911, ya' know. _Apparently_ one of the landscapers heard me screaming bloody murder. My bother says that I was a zombie for the week leading up to the funeral. He says that it was in the church that I finally showed some semblance of life, but he never said what it was."

A humorless, self-deprecating laugh came from her lips. "I obviously didn't handle myself very well."

Alec was about to intervene, give her the speech he had heard so many times about "it's not your fault, it's okay to cry, you're stronger than you know, blah blah blah," but she started talking again before he got the chance.

"We had to move after that." She admitted. "I wouldn't go into the kitchen anymore. I wouldn't even eat anything made in that kitchen. My dad didn't want to move- the house was Mom's pride and joy- but my brother was very adamant that he wasn't going to lose his sister, too. So, we left.

"We still have the house," She said as she shifted, sitting up. The change in the atmosphere was easily detectable. The room was lighter, freer. The worst part was over. "The family uses it as a vacation house, but I've never been back."

He watched as she pulled her legs closer to her chest and leaned against the back of the couch. A gust of wind battered the window behind them and a small smile tugged at her pink lips. Before the logic of "You're her boss, keep your distance" could talk him out of it, Alec found himself moving across the couch until he was in front of her, his mug forgotten on the coffee table.

"Lyndel…"

The nearness of his voice must have shocked of her. The young woman jumped slightly in surprise and stared at him with wide eyes. Regardless of the fact that she was already pressed against the arm of the couch, she seemed to move further back with each inch he gained on her before she spoke up.

"Sir?"

He paused, stricken by the use of the title. There was no reason for him to be, granted. She hadn't called him anything else in the few months since they had met, but the way she said it today…the quiver in her voice, the fear in her eyes…it…it hurt him.

Alec took the hint and sat back, but he refused to move away. If he was right about her -about her social anxieties -then he was right in assuming that the only possible way she was going get over her hang-ups is for someone to push her. And he sure as hell wasn't going to let anyone else do it.

"Sir?" She spoke again, her hazel eyes trained on the small space between them. Her knuckles were white as her grip on the mug tightened.

"Is there a problem, Lyndel?" He asked with feigned innocence. He knew perfectly well what was worrying her. Hell, it should probably be worrying him, too. Sometimes, however, it behooved him to be a cocky 23 year old.

She didn't respond. This wouldn't work if she didn't react in some way. He had to push her more.

Gently, he rested a hand on her bare arm. In a split second she jumped back, jostling her coffee and curling further into the couch.

"Please don't do that." She mumbled, moving timidly to place her coffee mug on the end table before bringing her shaking hands together and twirling her pearl ring.

He leaned in closer and brought a hand to brush along her cheek.

"Do what?" he asked innocently.

"That!" She shrieked, slapping his hand away and bolting from the couch. Alec turned to watch the girl pace, catching sight of stray tears breaking from her lashes. Swallowing the carnal desire to go help her, he leaned against the back of couch and propped his feet on the coffee table as he tried desperately to maintain a cool and calm façade. He knew very well that it would do neither of them any favours if Lyndel knew that their panic levels were equal. One of them needed to be calm, and it looked like that was going to be him.

"You're scared." He observed aloud. She didn't reply, either for or against his accusation. He continued on.

"Are you scared of _me?"_ He asked in an easy voice, hoping that it was convincing enough that she didn't guess that the only thing in his mind at the moment was '_Please say no. Please say no.'_

A bark of laughter broke through the room and he was delighted to see a genuine smile cross her face as she shook her head.

"No, no," She laughed through the tears, "Not of…of _you._"

He smiled. "Then of what?"

"This!" She shrieked again, turning to look at him. Almost instantly, her face was overcome by a pink blush and she looked away. He smirked. Just what kind of thoughts had her blushing?

Slowly- methodically, even- he rose from the couch.

"And what," He asked smoothly as he gradually approached the standing woman, "is 'this'?"

Her blush deepened and she turned around to continue her nervous pacing. He followed behind easily and placed a hand on her shoulder. Although he expected it, he couldn't the pang of hurt when she flinched away. She didn't leave, though. No, she stayed close to him; she stayed closed, and that was something.

"Lyndel?"

She whipped around and jumped back a step. Her eyes were screwed shut, her face was beet red and her hands were fidgeting desperately. She was nervous- far more nervous than she was when they met in the interview.

He smiled.

"Okay," she finally started after about a minute of nervous fidgeting (a minute that Alec found particularly entertaining), "So…here's the uh…the thing, I guess…"

He couldn't stop the quiet laugh as he watched her fiddle and stutter. She was really quite adorable.

"Don't _laugh_ at me," she hissed, her hazel eyes snapping open, "I'm trying to bare my soul here, dude."

He laughed louder and smiled at her.

"So in the time of a few minutes I've gone from 'Sir' to 'dude'?"

A smirk tugged at her lips and her eye turned to slits as she playfully glared up at him. "Problem, Sir?"

"Not at all." He said with a smile as he sat on the corner of the coffee table, "Now, uh, back to that little confession of yours."

She froze.

"What confession?" She asked simply, turning innocent eyes on him. "I wasn't about to confess something."

"Lyndel." He said in exhausted amusement, "Don't make me pull rank on you."

"We are not at work or a work-related function; you _can't _pull rank on me." She argued, staring straight ahead and avoiding looking anywhere near him.

"True," He replied, "But we are in my apartment- a scenario in which the laws of 'My Roof, My Rules' applies."

"Maybe I'll just leave, then."

He took a look out the window and chuckled.

"You got a team of sled dogs waiting for you outside?"

The comment seemed to peak her interest and she spared a quick glance to the window behind him. It didn't go unnoticed to the young man how her eyes were glancing _just _over his head and making a point not to wander down to him.

"Lyndel," He commanded gently, "Talk to me."

A heavy sigh came from her lips and her shoulders went lax. She was done fighting.

"What I'm about to say," She started quietly, anxiously, "Promise not to hold it against me."

"I swear to you."

She sighed another heavy breath before casting her eyes down and wrapping her arms around herself.

"Over the course of the past few months, I…may have…kind of developed an unorthodox level of affections towards you."

"What?" He laughed.

"You have a dictionary, you can figure it out." She snipped, turning her back to him once more.

A wicked smile crossed his features. "You have crush on me."

"Yes," She hissed, still turned away from him, "A crush. I have a crush on the CEO of Canto Gioiello, a multi-billion dollar company _and _the company I just so happen to be working for. I have a crush on my boss and for the past _three_ months I've been trying to get rid of it and you smiling at me and touching me and buying me coffee and everything else you do isn't helping the process."

The tears were back, and the red tinge had returned to her cheeks. He doubted it was from embarrassment this time. No, she wasn't embarrassed about her feelings, not anymore. She was stressed. She's young, socially inept, new to the corporate work force and she fell for her boss. And she was _definitely _smart enough to know how big of a mistake that was.

The table under him creaked as he stood up. Hearing the sound of movement, Lyndel stepped further away.

"Lyndel," He said gently, quietly moving closer, "I know you're kind of new to the romantic scene, so let me fill you in on a trade secret. Feelings? Yeah, you can't smother those things. Trust me, I've tried."

She scoffed and turned around, sending a not-so-playful glare his way.

"And I would buy that because…? In case you haven't noticed, you're rich, you come from a _very _powerful family, and you are _ridiculously_ attractive. Seriously, that thing you have going on with face and the hair and the body, that's just mean. Why do you have to do that to people? I honestly can't imagine you've ever even _seen_ a girl you couldn't have if you really wanted her."

He was closer now, far more into her personal space then he had been each time she moved away from him. This time, she didn't even flinch. He reached out with one hand and took her's, his blue eyes fixed on their inter-laced fingers.

"I have, though." He admitted softly, "At the elevators at 7:30 every weekday morning, in the stairwell, at her desk on those few occasions I make my way to the Marketing sector, and at Lucia's Bar almost every Thursday night. Hell, I've even been to her apartment and her laundromat."

His free arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her to him, leaving no space between their bodies. She gave no protest and even rested her head on his chest. Their hands broke apart as each wrapped their arms around the other, holding each other in a close embrace.

"I want you, Lyndel." He whispered in her soft, wavy hair, "The moment you walked into my office I wanted to throw you onto my desk and ravish you into the next decade. When you got hurt because of that _idiot_ Biers the only thing I wanted to do was run to at the hospital and be with you. And when you ran out of the bar? I wanted to go after you. They all convinced me not to, but I found you later, anyway. I had to. I was too worried about you. I wanted you in my arms like you are now. I wanted you then, I want you now, and I'll want three days, three months and even three years from now."

She didn't reply immediately. She only snuggled closer to him, pressing every inch of every curve of her body against him. To say it wasn't stirring a…physical reaction within him would be a direct lie. But he couldn't pull away, not now. Not after he finally _had _her.

"It wouldn't work." She finally said, though the sound was muffled by his t-shirt. "If we try to…do something, I mean. It wouldn't work. Our professional relationship would cause problems with a personal one and a personal relationship would cause problems with our professional one."

He chuckled and nuzzled her hair.

"You're just basing that off of a theory." He told her, "A theory is no good until it's been validated."

"Some theories aren't meant to be tested." She sighed in a defeated tone, wrapping her arms tighter around him. She had to have noticed his…um…friend by now; unless she was _that _naïve, of course. But what else would explain the, uh, bulge?

"If that was the common attitude towards theories, we wouldn't have electricity, planes or penicillin." He said easily, trying his best to ignore the paranoid thoughts racing through his mind.

"Penicillin?" She asked with a smirk, pulling just far enough away so that she could comfortably look him in the eye before turning her gaze to a lower region of his body, "You use that one as much as planes and electricity do you?"

He blinked.

"I'm sorry, Parker," He started in shock, "I may be mistaken, but I believe you just called me a slut."

She stepped out of his reached and shrugged nonchalantly, the smirk never leaving her face.

"I may have insinuated it." She admitted, "People do talk, Sir. And the personal lives of the higher ups seem to be favored topics."

Alec smirked. He saw what she was getting at.

He stepped forward, pulling her to him once more.

"If my reputation is so undesirable, would it not do me right by my own name to become part of a committed relationship?"

She seemed to consider the disguised proposal for a moment before responding.

"Possibly," she told him, "But the relationship would have to be introduced slowly, so as not to shock any unprepared employee."

"I can do slow." He said softly, resting his forehead against her's. The playful mask of the conversation had been dropped. He needed her to know that he was perfectly serious about this. "I can do whatever you need me to, be whoever you need me to be. I want this, Lyndel. I want _us. _And I'll work my ass off to get it. Just tell me what I have to do."

"Give it time." She whispered, locking his blue eyes with her hazel ones, "I'm new at this stuff. It's going to take a while for me to get comfortable with everything. I just need to take it slow."

He smiled kindly and pecked her cheek.

"I can do slow."

* * *

_**Please review with your thoughts. My grammar, my characters, my writing, just anything that strikes you about this chapter. It would make me very happy.  
**_

_**One more thing before I leave: I've heard a rumor that the Admins are going to delete all stories with lemons in them in early June. Has anyone else heard this?**_


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